Imphal: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Saturday urged the govt to fully restore normalcy in the state and resettle the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original homes before census exercise in the state.Speaking to the media at the Congress Bhavan in Imphal, MPCC president and former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said the census is not an ordinary exercise and accurate data needs to be recorded as it is the foundation for development planning and even delimitation.Singh said capturing accurate data of houses and population will not be possible in Manipur’s present situation as thousands continue to live in relief camps since May 2023. “There are thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are not in their original homes. In such a situation, how can house listing and data collection be conducted accurately?” he asked.Singh also highlighted concerns over abnormal population growth recorded in 2001 census. “When the national average growth was around 24%, some districts in Manipur showed unusually high increases, even up to 160 or 300%. Such figures create serious issues if used as a basis for delimitation,” he said.He further pointed to the influx of people from Myanmar following the 2021 military coup, stating that proper identification and verification are necessary.
