IMPHAL, Oct 11: Displaced people staying in a relief camp in
Imphal recently raised their strong objection to the
government’s plan of shifting them to prefabricated houses
for temporary shelters.
“Instead of staying at the temporary shelter, we would like to
go and settle at our original places. We would rather die in
our homes,” said the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
staying at a government-opened relief camp in Imphal’s
Khuman Lampak.
Around 200 displaced people from Ekou, Dolaithabi and its
adjoining villages of Imphal East district bordering Kangpokpi
are staying at the relief camp after their houses were torched
by armed miscreants after the outbreak of ethnic violence in
the state on the evening of May 3 last.
Earlier, they stayed at different relief camps and they shifted
to a relief camp at Khuman Lampak under the initiative of the
Imphal East district administration.
Talking to reporters at the relief camp, the IDPs said that
their houses were burnt down by armed miscreants who
descended from the hills on the night of May 3.
Earlier, they stayed at NB College in Khundrakpam and other
relief camps opened by the local youth clubs and civil society
organisations.
They were later shifted to the relief camp opened by the
Imphal East district administration at Khuman Lampak. A
total of 194 people of 46 families are staying in the camp as
of now.
One of the IDPs, Longjam Basanta said that they heard that
the state government is planning to shift them to
prefabricated houses for temporary shelters constructed by
the state government at Swombung in Imphal East district.
“We don’t want to shift to temporary houses. Rather we
would like to return to our own original home,” he said,
urging the state government to make arrangements for the
same.
At the same time, he said that they are not getting any kind
of relief package or compensation which the government
assured them till date.
He said that the authorities of the state government assured
providing loan amount of Rs 50,000 to each affected families,
LPG gas connection free of cost, etc. and to avail the benefits,
they have done all the necessary processes.
However, any kind of relief assistance or compensation for
the damages caused by the violence is yet to be received, he
lamented.
He also said that they will not move from their present
shelter at any condition. If the government forces them to
shift to the temporary shelter houses, they will move to their
villages.
The IDPs also expressed their worry about the study of their
children who had enrolled in various schools nearby and said
that shifting to other places from the present centre will
greatly affect the academic careers of their children. As such,
they would like to stay at the present place until the current
academic session is over.
Mention may be made that the state government has begun
the process of handing over prefabricated temporary shelter
houses to the violence-affected displaced families with
handing over of around 400 temporary shelter houses in
Sajiwa jail premises of Imphal East district in August last.
Over 50,000 displaced people are taking shelter at over 350
relief camps across the state and the state government is
planning or constructing prefabricated temporary shelter
houses in different districts affected by the ethnic violence.
(NNN)
