Sivasagar: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has intensified his attack on the Assam government over the alleged delay in providing relief to flood-hit families, warning that he would take his protest directly to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma if the promised assistance is not delivered.
Addressing the issue on Saturday, Gogoi alleged that a large part of his constituency had suffered extensive flood damage, with families losing houses, household belongings and other assets. He claimed that despite the scale of the destruction, many affected residents were yet to receive the one-time financial assistance announced by the government.
Gogoi said he would resort to an unusual form of protest if the relief process was not completed. “I will do Tandav Nritya on Himanta's table if all the people do not receive the one-time relief and the full amount,” he said.
The MLA alleged that the administration had identified a substantial number of flood-affected people but had failed to ensure timely disbursement of the assistance. He also raised questions over the beneficiary lists, claiming that discrepancies and duplicate names had been detected.
According to Gogoi, the responsibility for verifying beneficiaries should lie with the administration rather than elected representatives. He also claimed that the Sivasagar administration had acknowledged that the extent of the damage was much larger than the number of beneficiaries currently being processed for assistance.
Gogoi further credited sustained pressure from him and other voices for the government's decision to provide Rs 15,000 as one-time assistance to flood-affected families in Sivasagar and Charaideo.
The MLA also renewed his criticism of the Centre's handling of Assam's flood crisis, claiming that the magnitude of the devastation had not received adequate attention. He said people from different parts of the country had extended support to affected communities, but the government was still underestimating the losses.
His remarks come amid a growing confrontation with the Sivasagar district administration. Employees of the Deputy Commissioner’s office recently staged a protest against Gogoi, accusing him of misbehaving with Deputy Commissioner Mridul Jadav during a discussion on flood relief.
Gogoi said he had no objection to the protest and even invited officials, including members of the IAS officers' association, to visit flood-affected areas and see the situation on the ground.
He claimed that mud and silt were still lying inside several flood victims' homes and questioned whether the administration had fully assessed the damage.
Gogoi has now warned of further escalation if the government fails to provide the promised assistance to families who have suffered major losses. He said he was prepared to resign as MLA if the relief commitments were not fulfilled.