The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) has approached Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, requesting that the Minor Irrigation Department should be placed under the charge of a dedicated cabinet minister rather than being retained by the Chief Minister when an elected government assumes office in the state.
In its memorandum submitted at Lok Bhavan, the organisation argued that past practices of the Chief Minister holding the Minor Irrigation portfolio—during both Congress and BJP administrations—have not delivered meaningful development outcomes in Manipur’s tribal and hill regions.
The TYCM stated that irrigation schemes executed during those periods failed to adequately reach interior areas, attributing this to limited on-ground monitoring, weak engagement with local communities, and insufficient attention to region-specific challenges faced by tribal populations.
The council also expressed concern over the implementation of key irrigation initiatives, including the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and the Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) supported by NABARD, claiming that these projects have shown little visible impact in hill districts despite years of operation.
Highlighting accessibility issues, the TYCM noted that residents of remote tribal areas find it difficult to meet the Chief Minister due to the office’s demanding schedule. This, it said, prevents affected communities from directly raising issues related to irrigation infrastructure, water management, and scheme execution.
The organisation asserted that placing the department under a cabinet minister would allow for closer supervision, frequent field interaction, and better responsiveness to tribal concerns. Such an arrangement, it added, would strengthen the delivery of irrigation programmes and support balanced development across Manipur’s hill regions.