Imphal: The Manipur government on Sunday released more than Rs 5.88 crore from the State Emergency Fund to provide financial assistance to 58,863 eligible internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic violence and currently staying in relief camps across the state, ahead of the Diwali and Ningol Chakouba festivals.

Source: IANS

A senior official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the special assistance of Rs 1,000 each to the 58,863 IDPs was disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on Sunday. The money was transferred to the designated accounts of the Deputy Commissioners of 10 districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Churachandpur, Thoubal, Ukhrul, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Jiribam and Bishnupur — for onward payment to the beneficiaries.

58,863Displaced people who received the aid
Rs 1,000Festive assistance per person
Rs 5.88 croreTotal released from the State Emergency Fund
10Districts covered through Deputy Commissioners

The beneficiaries are among the roughly 60,000 people displaced by the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, many of whom have now spent more than three years in relief camps. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has earlier said that despite the resettlement of 36,000 IDPs, the state government is still providing financial assistance to around 59,000 of the total 60,000 displaced people.

Source: ThePrint (PTI)

Ningol Chakouba is a traditional festival of the Meitei community that celebrates the bond between married women and their parental families, and it falls in the same week as Diwali this year. The Chief Minister used the festive assistance announcement to call on citizens to reaffirm their commitment to peace and prosperity in Manipur, according to reports of the CMO statement.

Source: India Today NE