Centre approves 5,000 houses for Manipur IDPs as rehabilitation efforts gather momentum

In a major boost to rehabilitation efforts in violence-hit Manipur , the Centre has approved the construction of 5,000 permanent houses for internally displaced persons (IDPs), signalling steady progress towards restoring stability and normalcy in the state.

The approval was granted by Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan following a meeting with Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in New Delhi. The houses will be built under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for families displaced by ethnic violence in the northeastern state.

PMAY-G is the Centre’s flagship rural housing scheme aimed at providing pucca, permanent homes with basic amenities to homeless and inadequately housed families. The scheme offers financial assistance for the construction of durable houses equipped with electricity, sanitation and clean cooking facilities, ensuring long-term housing security. In Manipur, the scheme is being deployed as a key rehabilitation measure to help displaced families rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.

The ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 between Imphal Valley-based Meitei groups and hill-based Kuki-Zo communities has claimed at least 260 lives and rendered thousands homeless , triggering one of the largest internal displacement crises in the state’s recent history.

Officials said the state government had earlier this month submitted a proposal seeking Central assistance for the construction of 5,000 houses for IDPs. In January, the Manipur government had announced plans to resettle 10,000 internally displaced families by March 31 , under a phased rehabilitation programme.

So far, 16,500 IDPs have already been resettled through a combination of relief camps, temporary shelters and return-and-rehabilitation initiatives, officials said. The latest approval is expected to accelerate the transition from temporary relief to permanent rehabilitation.

The Union minister also assured continued Central support to help bring peace, stability and economic recovery to the state, with housing identified as a critical pillar of the broader rehabilitation and reconciliation process.