Imphal, Apr 06, 2025, IANS

Imphal, April 6 (IANS) The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided Rs 217 crore as financial support in the last fiscal year (2024-25) for relief and rehabilitation measures for those people displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023, officials said here on Sunday. More than 50,000 men, women, and children have been staying in around 250 relief camps in many districts after they were displaced from their homes and villages soon after the ethnic violence broke out 23 months ago. Several thousand prefabricated houses were constructed across various districts of Manipur for the violence-hit families who are currently living in relief camps. A senior official of the Manipur Finance Department said in the recently ended financial year (2024-25) massive support was received from the Central government in different sectors. He said that in March (2025), Rs 1,926 crore of Central assistance was received in the form of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) and other Central schemes. This is the highest ever receipt of such assistance in a month. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had recently assured support for Manipur under SASCI. A total of Rs 1,437 crore was received under SASCI in the last financial year, which is the highest receipt ever in a financial year. Sixty per cent of the support, amounting to Rs 869 crore, was received in March alone. The SASCI funding also included a special funding of Rs 320 crore for clearing liabilities of ongoing and recently completed works of PWD. The official said that in the fiscal year 2024-25, Rs 169 crore was received as funding for Rural Housing under PMAY-Grameen. About Rs 520 crore was received for School Education, Rs 305 crore for Health and Rs 458 crore from the Ministry of Women and Child Development. For the first time, an additional (fifth) instalment under the National Health Mission, beyond the usual four instalments, was received. As Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 13, Union Finance Minister on March 10 presented in the Lok Sabha the state budget for 2025-26, proposing an expenditure of Rs 35,104 crore, up from the revised estimates of Rs 32,657 crore in the current financial year (2024-25).