UKHRUL: The Kangpokpi District Internally Displaced Welfare Committee (KDIDWC) on Thursday demanded the immediate release of the pending Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for internally displaced persons (IDPs), saying thousands of families are facing severe hardship due to the delay.
During the protest, displaced persons raised slogans such as “We Demand – Immediate Release of DBT,” “DBT is Our Right,” “Don’t Discriminate – Camps and Non-Camps,” and “No DBT, No Food, No Educational Support.”
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In a press statement, the KDIDWC said thousands of displaced families living in relief camps and rented accommodations across Kangpokpi district have been surviving on the financial assistance since they were forced to flee their homes following the outbreak of the ethnic violence.
It said the DBT is primarily used to pay school fees, admission and examination charges for displaced children, purchase essential food items and medicines, and meet other household expenses.
The KDIDWC alleged that although July is coming to an end, no registered IDP in Kangpokpi district has received the month’s DBT assistance. It claimed the delay has left many families unable to buy food, pay school fees or afford medicines, while food stocks in several relief camps are running low.
“DBT has become the only means of survival and dignity for displaced families until they are able to return to their homes and rebuild their livelihoods,” the committee stated.
KDIDWC then urged the Manipur government to immediately release the pending DBT for July, continue monthly assistance until displaced families are safely resettled, introduce a fixed monthly disbursement schedule, and ensure that every eligible IDP receives the benefit without discrimination.
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The KDIDWC also appealed to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and the concerned departments to treat the issue as a priority, saying the future of displaced children and the survival of thousands of families depend on timely assistance.
It further said it would continue to cooperate with the government in the verification and distribution of DBT, while expressing hope that the pending assistance would be released at the earliest.
