By NE NOW NEWS
Imphal: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has raised questions over what he described as a “village growth anomaly” in the state’s hill districts, citing figures that show a sharp increase in the number of villages in certain areas over the past five decades.
In an infographic shared on social media, Singh compared village statistics from 1972 and 2023 for Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Senapati and Ukhrul districts.
According to the figures cited by him, the number of villages across the four districts increased from 754 in 1972 to 1,865 in 2023, an addition of 1,111 villages.
The data showed that Kangpokpi recorded an increase from 193 villages to 713, while the number of villages in Churachandpur rose from 339 to 874 during the period.
In comparison, Senapati and Ukhrul registered relatively smaller increases, with Singh claiming that Kangpokpi and Churachandpur together accounted for nearly 95% of the total growth in villages across the four districts.
Describing the trend as an anomaly, Singh said the figures pointed to a pattern that warranted closer examination, though he acknowledged that the data alone did not explain the reasons behind the increase.
The infographic listed several possible factors that may have contributed to the growth, including administrative bifurcation of villages, recognition of previously unrecorded settlements, demographic expansion, migration, changing settlement patterns and other governance-related processes.
Singh said a detailed review of village recognition records, census data, land and revenue documents, historical maps, satellite imagery and migration trends was needed to better understand the phenomenon.
“The anomaly is not a matter of opinion; it is visible in the data,” Singh said, arguing that the issue merited further study in the context of demographic change, land governance and development planning.
The remarks come amid continuing debates in Manipur over land ownership, demographics, administrative boundaries and settlement patterns, issues that remain politically sensitive in the state.