RTI revelations on relief fund 'misuse' cast shadow over PM Modi's Manipur visit

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit Manipur, the state government is grappling with fresh allegations of relief fund misappropriation. An RTI disclosure exposing questionable spending on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) has triggered demands for a judicial probe, even as protests from civil society groups and a militant-called bandh cast a shadow over the high-profile visit.

The allegations stem from a series of damning RTI revelations that expose glaring inconsistencies in the utilisation of relief funds over the last 27 months in Moirang Assembly Constituency, triggering demands for a full-fledged judicial inquiry into the scam and a visit by Modi to the relief camps to witness the condition of beneficiaries first-hand.

Also read: PM Modi to visit Manipur tomorrow, to unveil Rs 8,500 cr projects

Serious mismatches

According to an RTI reply accessed by The Federal, Rs 23,21,95,480 (over Rs 23.21 crore) was spent between May 3, 2023, and August 25, 2025, on procuring essential items and services for 4,542 IDPs housed in 14 relief camps in Moirang, averaging Rs 51,121.85 per person.

A closer look at the spending breakdown reveals serious mismatches. For instance, as per the RTI reply, the state administration spent Rs 35,19,580 on the purchase of salt alone over the 27-month period.

Given that the government-fixed retail price of salt in Manipur valley is Rs 6 per kg, this amounts to roughly 0.157 kg (or 157 grams) of salt per person per day. By comparison, the World Health Organisation recommends a daily salt intake of less than 5 grams per person.

The RTI reply further stated that Rs 11.2 lakh was spent on purchasing pillows, amounting to Rs 246.58 per inmate, while Rs 11 lakh was allocated for 20 televisions and DTH sets, averaging Rs 55,000 per relief centre.

‘Absurd, misleading figures’, say activists

Additionally, Rs 7.14 crore was spent on toothbrushes, toothpaste, spices, fermented fish, vegetables, firewood, and gas refills, while Rs 2.10 crore was spent on bananas, biscuits, eggs, noodles, and other snacks.

Political leaders and social activists have called these figures absurd and misleading. “There is a significant gap between the claims made and the actual conditions I personally witnessed during my recent visit to the camps,” said state Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, who demanded a judicial inquiry into the expenditure.

Also read: PM Modi’s visit to Manipur comes amid a minefield of challenges

When The Federal reached out to Ratnakar Singh, a member of the management committee of the Khoyol Keithel relief camp in Moirang, he said that the serving of fish, bananas, and noodles had stopped a long time ago, and eggs were provided only occasionally. There are 222 inmates in the camp.

Benefits do not trickle down

Ironically, according to the RTI reply to Heisnam Sushil Singh, the number of relief camps decreased from 20 to 14, even as the number of inmates increased from 3,905 to 4,542, clearly presenting a paradox.

Ratnakar also revealed that the TV set provided to the camp is no longer functioning, raising questions about its quality and the actual cost incurred by the government in its purchase.

Large-scale mismanagement, selective disclosure, and possible diversion of funds under the guise of humanitarian aid are not limited to Moirang, said Meghachandra.

“We are barely surviving here. The government only provides two meals a day – just rice and dal. Eggs are a rare luxury,” said Singham Aboi, an inmate of the Akampat relief camp in Imphal East, reinforcing Meghachandra’s claim.

The camp is currently housing 411 people, most of whom were displaced from Moreh.

Watch: Is Manipur back to 'normal' ahead of PM Modi's visit?

Aboi added that it would have been better if the prime minister had visited the camp to witness their condition firsthand.

Demand for PM to visit relief camps

Manipur government officials say that, as of now, there is no visit to any relief camp included in the prime minister’s itinerary.

A delegation representing various valley-based relief camps will attend the prime minister’s programme at Kangla Fort in Imphal, the official said.

The delegation from Akampat camp includes four members, two girls and two boys, according to official sources.

During his visit, Modi is expected to unveil development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore in the state, according to a government communique issued on the eve of his visit.

“It is disheartening to see that the package includes nothing for the rehabilitation of displaced persons, which should have been the top priority,” said Ashang Kasar, convener of the Forum for Restoration of Peace in Manipur.

Also read: Manipur violence accounted for 97% of South Asia’s internal displacement in 2023: Report

Altogether, the state currently has over 55,000 displaced people.

The least the prime minister could do is visit a few relief camps to assess their conditions and acknowledge the plight of the inmates, he said.

Meira Paibi protests PM’s visit

The atmosphere ahead of the prime minister’s visit has been further dampened by a public statement from the working committee of Meira Paibi, a powerful Meitei women’s collective, which declared that Prime Minister Modi is not welcome in Manipur.

The group holds the prime minister responsible for failing to stop the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023, which has led to widespread deaths, rapes, disappearances, and displacement.

Also read: Why RSS peacekeeping mission in Manipur may worsen crisis

The Meira Paibi condemned the central government's “apathy” and questioned whether Modi’s visit is a genuine outreach or "another ploy to destroy Manipur once and for all.”

Bandh call

Adding to the political pressure, the coordination committee (CorCom) of five banned militant groups – Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) – have called for a bandh and total shutdown during the prime minister’s visit.

Adding to this, groups of miscreants clashed with security forces at three different locations in Churachandpur on Thursday (September 11) night. This is another town in Manipur that the prime minister is scheduled to visit.

Watch: When Manipur's brave women stood up against British rule: A story for the ages

The miscreants tried to destroy and remove decorations prepared for the visit, police said, confirming the incidents.

“The people of Manipur are calling for answers, not applause,” said political and human rights activist Onil Kshetrimayum, summing up the mood in the state over the prime minister’s much-awaited visit.