DBT Delay Pushes Manipur's Kangpokpi Displaced Families to Brink; IDP Welfare Committee Seeks Immediate Government Intervention

The Kangpokpi District Internally Displaced Welfare Committee (KDIDWC) urged the Manipur government to immediately sanction and release the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) assistance for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), warning that prolonged delays have pushed thousands of conflict-hit families into deep financial and humanitarian distress.

The committee said the monthly DBT has become the sole source of financial support for most displaced families living in relief camps and rented accommodations after losing their homes, livelihoods and properties in the ongoing ethnic conflict.

It said the assistance is primarily used to pay children's school fees, purchase essential food items, medicines and other basic household necessities, making timely disbursement crucial for the survival of displaced families.

Expressing concern that July was nearing its end without any DBT being credited to beneficiaries, KDIDWC alleged that the delay had severely affected thousands of IDPs, particularly children, elderly persons and economically vulnerable households.

The committee claimed many students were facing the risk of dropping out of school due to unpaid fees, while several families were struggling to meet even their daily food requirements because of the absence of financial assistance.

Calling for immediate intervention, KDIDWC urged the state government and the concerned authorities to sanction and release the pending DBT without further delay, stating that the financial assistance remained indispensable until displaced families could safely return to their native villages after restoration of normalcy.

The committee also appealed to the government to address the issue on humanitarian grounds, saying the future and welfare of displaced children should not be jeopardised by administrative delays.

Seeking greater accountability, KDIDWC demanded that the government establish a fixed monthly timeline for DBT disbursement and ensure transparency in the distribution process so that every eligible IDP family receives its entitled assistance without exclusion.

Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of displaced persons, the committee expressed hope that the government would act swiftly to ease the hardships faced by conflict-affected families.