Shifting of people from relief camps to temporary homes to start on I-Day: Manipur CM

Manipur Chief Minister had earlier announced that 4,000 prefabricated temporary homes would be constructed in different districts

Imphal: The Manipur government will start shifting of violence-hit displaced people, now sheltered in relief camps, to the prefabricated temporary homes from the Independence Day (Tuesday) onwards, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday.

The Manipur Chief Minister had earlier announced that 4,000 prefabricated temporary homes would be constructed in different districts for the people displaced by the ethnic violence, which broke out in the state on May 3.

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Speaking at a function on Monday, Singh said that shifting of displaced people to prefabricated homes would start from Tuesday at a few places of the state. ‘Construction of temporary homes is now underway in full swing in many districts, and shifting of people will be done in a phase manner as and when the construction works are completed,’ Singh said, adding that the government is also planning to build permanent residents for the affected people who lost their homes due the violence.

The Chief Minister said that regular meetings of ministers, MLAs and officials are being held to ensure that all the measures of the government are properly executed. Scholars and prominent public figures should refrain from narrating distorted history which could hinder the peace-building process and create confusion among the people, he cautioned.

In view of the ethnic strife in Manipur, approximately 50,650 men, women and children of different communities have been displaced and are now sheltered in 350 camps, set up in schools, government buildings and auditoriums.

The violence, which broke out after a tribal organisation held a rally on May 3 opposing recognition of Meitei community as Scheduled Tribe, so far has claimed over 160 lives and injured around 600 people of different communities, besides destroying a large numbers of assets, including people’s homes.