Imphal: The Manipur cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand, has approved steps to strengthen rehabilitation and resettlement measures for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The cabinet meeting, the second since Y. Khemchand became the 13th Chief Minister of the state, was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Friday (February 6).
The cabinet held detailed deliberations on the difficulties faced by IDPs living in relief camps and reviewed their rehabilitation, resettlement and welfare measures.
Following extensive discussions, the state cabinet resolved to distribute the special package and financial assistance sanctioned by the Central Government to the IDPs, and to further strengthen resettlement and rehabilitation efforts.
The meeting also agreed to constitute teams of MLAs to assess the needs of IDPs and provide all possible assistance to displaced persons from both the hill and valley regions.
The prevailing law and order situation in the state was also discussed at length during the meeting.
In addition, the cabinet decided to hold Panchayat elections at the earliest in compliance with a directive of the Manipur High Court, which had ordered that Panchayat polls be conducted within six months during the President’s Rule period.
The High Court of Manipur, on August 29, 2025, had directed the PR-ruled Manipur government to conduct Panchayat elections within six months. The order was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice Guneshwar Sharma during a hearing on the long-pending local body polls. Panchayat elections in the state were last held in 2017.
The 6th general election to Panchayats in Manipur was scheduled for June 2023 but was cancelled due to the law and order situation in this sensitive border state.
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The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Cabinet Ministers Govindas Konthoujam and Khuraijam Loken, and Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki leader, also participated virtually.
