Imphal: Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has raised concerns over what he described as a significant “village growth anomaly” in the state’s hill districts, citing official data that shows uneven expansion of villages over the past five decades.

In an infographic shared on social media, Singh compared village statistics from 1972 and 2023 for four hill districts, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Senapati and Ukhrul. He argued that the pattern of growth reflected in the figures warrants closer examination.

According to the data cited by the former Chief Minister, the total number of villages across the four districts increased from 754 in 1972 to 1,865 in 2023, marking an addition of 1,111 villages over the period.

The infographic showed that Kangpokpi recorded an increase from 193 villages in 1972 to 713 in 2023, while Churachandpur witnessed growth from 339 villages to 874 during the same period.

In comparison, Senapati and Ukhrul registered relatively modest increases in the number of villages. Singh claimed that Kangpokpi and Churachandpur together accounted for nearly 95 per cent of the total increase in villages among the four districts.

Describing the trend as a “village growth anomaly”, Singh said the figures reveal a pattern that deserves further scrutiny and examination. He suggested that the disproportionate rise in the number of villages in certain districts raises important questions about demographic and administrative developments over the years.

The former Chief Minister’s remarks have reignited discussions on settlement patterns and administrative records in Manipur’s hill regions, with the data likely to attract attention from policymakers and researchers alike.

While Singh highlighted the figures as a matter of concern, no official response had been issued by the state government regarding his observations at the time of filing this report.