The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), General Headquarters, Dewlahland, has submitted a comprehensive memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, outlining a series of urgent demands aimed at addressing the developmental and administrative challenges faced by tribal communities in the state.
Among the key demands is the amendment of the Manipur (Village Authorities in Hill Areas) Act, 1956, to establish a Village Development Fund, appoint salaried staff, and provide honorariums and sitting allowances for village authority members. TYCM stressed that such measures are essential to ensure better governance and incentivize participation at the grassroots level.
The Council also called for the speedy completion of all ongoing infrastructure and road projects in hill tribal regions, citing delays that have severely hampered connectivity and economic development. Another pressing concern raised was the acute shortage of staff in key tribal institutions such as the Directorate of Tribal Affairs & Hills, the Tribal Research Institute (TRI), and the Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Ltd. (MTDC).
Additionally, the TYCM demanded the regularization of contractual employees in the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (MSCST) and urged the Governor to recommend the disbursement of 7th Pay Commission arrears—covering the period from April 2019 to March 2023—to employees of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), through the Union Finance Ministry.
At the heart of the memorandum was a call for a constitutional amendment to the Presidential Order of June 20, 1972, issued under Article 371C of the Indian Constitution. The TYCM proposed empowering the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) with legislative, financial, and executive powers, and designating its Chairperson as the official in charge of tribal welfare, replacing the existing Cabinet Minister for Tribal Affairs & Hills.
The Council described the 1972 Presidential Order as outdated and ineffective, arguing that it has remained unchanged for over five decades and lacks enforcement authority. TYCM pointed out that nearly 75% of the hill areas remain underdeveloped, attributing the stagnation to the limited powers granted to the HAC.
The memorandum concluded with an appeal to the Governor for immediate and decisive intervention, warning that without structural reforms and empowerment of tribal institutions, Manipur’s tribal populations would continue to face systemic neglect and marginalization.