Ethnic violence costs Manipur ₹1,200 crore in GST: CM
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Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh. File | Photo Credit: PTI
The prolonged ethnic conflict has cost Manipur at least ₹1,200 crore in its share of goods and services tax (GST) revenue from 2023 to 2026, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said at a function in Imphal on Wednesday (September 16, 2026).
The ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei communities erupted on May 3, 2023. The conflict took another turn in February, pitting the Kuki-Zo community against the Nagas.
Attending the 52nd Foundation Day celebration of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal, Mr. Khemchand Singh said highway blockades and shutdowns have added to the GST revenue loss the State has incurred in more than three years.
“We lost more than ₹1,200 crore in GST due to the prolonged conflict. The collateral impact of blockades and shutdowns has affected the State significantly,” he said, appealing to all civil society organisations in Manipur to create an environment conducive to economic recovery and development.
The Chief Minister also said many journalists could not contribute to the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Journalist Pension Scheme during the conflict. “For those who could not pay their contributions, a one-time relaxation will be allowed to reactivate their pension accounts,” he added.
According to Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas, the ethnic conflict since May 2023 has claimed 306 lives, while 49 others remain missing.
Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen attacked Chawangkining, a Naga village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, late on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) night. There were no reports of any casualties during a six-hour exchange of fire between the armed assailants and Central Reserve Police Force personnel.
According to district officials, intermittent firing started around 10.30 p.m. “The security forces prevented the militants from entering the village, but the attackers set two wooden houses on the outskirts of the village on fire,” an official said. The attack is believed to be in retaliation for the killing of two Kuki women at Leisangphai village in the adjoining Tamenglong, a Naga-majority district. Kukis dominate Kangpokpi district.
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