Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Thursday, 15 October 2026, disclosed that the ethnic violence that erupted on 3 May 2023 had inflicted an estimated ₹1,200 crore loss in Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue on the state between 2023 and 2026. The Chief Minister made the revelation while addressing the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' at the Tadubi local ground in the Naga-dominated Senapati district, underlining how prolonged civil unrest had choked economic activity and shrunk government finances.

Scale of Economic Damage

Singh stated that the unrest had adversely affected economic activities and government revenue across the state for over three years. He noted that bandhs and blockades had particularly hurt daily-wage earners and students, compounding the human cost of a conflict that has already displaced tens of thousands. The ₹1,200 crore GST shortfall, according to the Chief Minister, reflects disrupted trade, shuttered businesses, and curtailed movement along key supply routes.

This comes amid a broader pattern: Manipur's economy, already one of the more fragile among northeastern states due to its dependence on highway connectivity, has been disproportionately exposed to the blockade economy — where organised shutdowns are used as political leverage, choking commerce in the process.

Highway Restoration and Economic Revival

Singh lauded the communities of Maram, Tadubi and Mao in Senapati district for their cooperation in restoring free movement of passenger buses and vehicles along National Highway-2, which connects Imphal to Guwahati via Dimapur in Nagaland. He said the resumption of unhindered vehicular movement had begun to revive the state's economy and improve regional connectivity. Former Senapati Autonomous District Council (ADC) Chairman A. Kapani also acknowledged the Chief Minister's role in facilitating free movement along the highway.

Call for Unity and Shared Identity

Expressing concern that members of the Meitei, Naga and Kuki communities were increasingly reluctant to identify themselves as Manipuris, Singh urged citizens to first identify as Indians and then as Manipuris. He stressed that differences among communities could be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding, invoking the example of the Manipuri-Burmese War, in which all 36 communities of Manipur had reportedly united to repel the Burmese Army. He cited Singapore — home to four distinct communities — as a model of collective development.

Development Initiatives for Hill Districts

On the development front, Singh said the state government had earmarked an estimated ₹10 crore per Assembly constituency in the budget for the construction of Inter-Village Roads (IVRs). He also announced that a new medical college would be established in Senapati district, following the earlier establishment of one in Churachandpur district during the previous government's tenure — a move aimed at ensuring equitable development across Manipur's hill districts.

National Context and Viksit Bharat Vision

Singh referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047', which aims to build a developed India by the country's 100th year of independence. He said the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan was being organised nationwide to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Modi's public service. The Chief Minister also claimed that India had risen from the world's 11th-largest economy before Modi assumed office to become the world's fourth-largest economy, attributing this progress to the Prime Minister's leadership. During the programme, Singh distributed benefits under various government schemes to eligible beneficiaries from the district.

With the highway now partially functional and reconciliation efforts under way, the pace of economic recovery in Manipur will depend heavily on whether political dialogue can translate into a durable ceasefire on the ground.