Imphal: The Manipur government has appointed chairpersons for Zilla Parishads in six valley districts as the state works to restore rural local administration.
The newly appointed chairpersons are R.K. Taruni Devi for Imphal West Zilla Parishad, W. Bimola Devi for Imphal East, Kh. Janaki Devi for Jiribam, Romabai for Bishnupur, Ph. Jiten Singh for Kakching and Khoirom Sanakhomba Singh for Thoubal.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met the newly appointed chairpersons at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Mantripukhri, Imphal, on October 7.
In a statement shared on his social media channels, the Chief Minister said the meeting focused on the management of local bodies and the roles and responsibilities of the newly appointed chairpersons.
He said grassroots governance plays an important role in the effective implementation of welfare schemes. He also congratulated the new chairpersons and expressed hope that they would focus on public service delivery during their tenure.
The appointments come as the state faces a deadline set by the Manipur High Court and the Supreme Court for completing the 6th General Panchayat Elections by October 16, 2026.
The Manipur High Court had earlier extended the deadline to October 16, taking into account the law-and-order situation and the displacement of people in the state.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices N. Kotiswar Singh and N.V. Anjaria, on July 2, dismissed a challenge to the extension and said the state government would have to complete the elections by the October deadline or face contempt proceedings.
The state Cabinet had proposed holding the elections on October 1. However, the schedule could not be maintained due to delays in the delimitation of Panchayat Samiti constituencies. The government subsequently sought a rescheduling from the State Election Commission.
Rural local body elections in Manipur have been pending since 2022. In their absence, temporary ad-hoc committees have managed local administration for nearly four years.
The delay has drawn criticism from civil society organisations, including the All Manipur Nupi Marup and the State Panchayat Parishad. The organisations have raised concerns about the prolonged absence of elected local bodies and its impact on grassroots governance.