Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, giving an update on the process of establishing normalcy in violence-hit Manipur.
She assured the House that the condition in the state was improving steadily, with violence incidents coming down considerably.
Sitharaman emphasized that around 7,000 new houses were sanctioned for the persons who were displaced due to violence, and relief and rehabilitation funding had been sanctioned by the central government.
"The Army and Assam Rifles are actively engaged with 286 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces and the state police to ensure law and order," Sitharaman said. "While there have been some unfortunate incidents, the incidence of violence has been going down, and free traffic is being ensured on the National Highway. Essential commodities are being supplied, and regular helicopter services are being run."
The Finance Minister also added that approximately 60,000 individuals remain in relief camps, while 7,000 have gone back to their homes. In aid of the relief operations, Sitharaman announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs had approved Rs 400 crore for relief camp activities. Furthermore, 7,000 houses had been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin to assist displaced families.
She also referred to current development schemes in the state, such as the Manipur Water Supply Project, National Highway Project, Railway Project, Medical College, Triple IT, and government housing schemes, all aided by the central government.
While replying to debates on Manipur's budget and supplementary grants, Sitharaman highlighted the government's determination to restore law and order and increase economic activities in the state. She announced Rs 100 crore more for relief operations, in addition to Rs 200 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and Rs 68 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for natural disaster mitigation.
Sitharaman also announced the creation of an Rs 500 crore emergency corpus to assist Manipur in dealing with any future crises. "This corpus will make sure that the state has the funds required to respond efficiently to emergencies," she said.
The Finance Minister also reassured the House that the Home Minister and the Minister of State for Home were visiting the state regularly to take stock of the situation. "The Prime Minister is personally following the situation and directing efforts towards restoring peace. This is our Manipur, your Manipur, the Manipur of all of us. We have to work together and not indulge in blame-shifting," she underscored.
After the deliberations, Manipur's budget for 2025-26 and the supplementary demands for grants in respect of the state were cleared by the Rajya Sabha.
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