MPCC seeks fixed timeline for IDP return, demands probe into prefab housing fund misuse

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has expressed deep concern over the ongoing plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and demanded urgent and transparent action from both the State and Central governments. In a letter addressed to the Governor of Manipur, MPCC President Keisham Meghachandra Singh raised alarm over alleged irregularities in the construction of prefabricated housing for displaced persons and urged a fixed timeline for the return of IDPs to their original homes.
The letter, sent following visits to relief camps and prefab construction sites at Moirang, Phubala, and Saiton in Bishnupur district, highlights grave concerns about potential financial misconduct. Meghachandra claimed that the construction of prefabricated houses was being executed without any public tender process, raising the possibility of large-scale misappropriation of funds.
“There is a strong indication of a public loot of hundreds of crores of rupees,” the MPCC president stated, adding that materials were being paid for but not delivered to the relief camps, depriving IDPs of essential support.
He further urged that the State and Union governments ensure that all financial benefits meant for IDPs are directly transferred into their individual bank accounts, without the involvement of intermediaries. “Transacting through middle persons or other representatives must stop immediately,” the letter emphasized.
Calling for accountability, Meghachandra demanded an independent or judicial probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the construction of prefab houses and the distribution of relief funds. The MPCC contended that the money released from the State Exchequer for relief camps and other rehabilitation purposes since May 3, 2023, must be audited and any misuse thoroughly investigated.
Critically, the MPCC president pointed out that the Chief Secretary’s recent assurance to resettle IDPs in three phases by December only amounted to shifting people from relief camps to temporary structures—not returning them to their original homes. “There is neither any intent nor any policy of the government to ensure the IDPs return to their original districts,” he said, accusing the administration of deepening divisions among communities.
He insisted that a fixed timeline must be set to facilitate the safe and dignified return of all IDPs to their original places of residence in Manipur, asserting that any alternative approach would be detrimental to lasting peace and communal harmony.
The letter concluded with a call to uphold the rule of law and prioritize the rights of affected citizens. “I hope that the above-made demands would be seriously considered in the larger interests of the people of Manipur and to help bring normalcy in the state,” Meghachandra wrote.
The MPCC’s strong stand comes amid rising criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups over the state government’s handling of the prolonged humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of displaced people across Manipur since the ethnic violence began last year.