The Raijor Dal chief sought a Rs 400 crore special package for Sivasagar, urged the Centre to step in with larger relief, and warned of protests if adequate compensation is not provided
Guwahati: Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday demanded a substantial increase in financial assistance for Assam’s flood-affected families, calling the state’s announced relief inadequate considering the scale of destruction caused by the recent floods.
Addressing reporters in Sivasagar, Gogoi welcomed the enhancement of benefits under the Orunodoi scheme but urged the Assam government to extend the scheme to every woman belonging to flood-affected households.
Holding photographs of damaged homes and submerged villages, he said the floods had devastated both economically weaker sections and middle-class families, causing extensive losses to homes, farmland, livestock and livelihoods.
The opposition MLA urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to present evidence of the devastation before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek a comprehensive Central relief package. He demanded a one-time compensation of Rs 10 lakh for every flood-hit family and a Rs 400 crore special package for Sivasagar, claiming nearly 40,000 families in his constituency had been affected.
Gogoi also criticised the government’s announcement of Rs 15,000 assistance for severely affected families, arguing that it was insufficient to rebuild lives. He further alleged that despite the Chief Minister’s recent visit to New Delhi, Assam had failed to secure a special financial package from the Centre.
Warning of intensified protests if adequate compensation is not announced, Gogoi said he would lead demonstrations, including outside the Chief Minister’s residence, and urged all Assam MPs to jointly press the Centre for immediate financial assistance.
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