A CORRESPONDENT
NAZIRA: Senior Congress leader, former Nazira MLA, and former Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has strongly criticised the BJP-led Assam and Central governments over the alleged failure to provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation to people devastated by the catastrophic Dikhow river floods.
Addressing a press conference at his residence at Borduwar in Simaluguri on August 19, Saikia said that people across Nazira sub-division had been facing severe hardship for nearly a month since the devastating floods began on July 19.
Saikia alleged that the government was adopting a discriminatory approach in assessing the losses suffered by flood-affected families and providing compensation. He claimed that more than 10 lakh people had been affected by the Dikhow river floods, with many families losing almost everything.
"Where are the Assam and Central governments at this time of crisis?" Saikia asked, while criticising the government for allegedly failing to conduct a proper assessment of the damage. He also questioned the absence of senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, he said, frequently visited Assam during elections and made promises regarding the state's flood problem.
On the possible causes of the disaster, Saikia alleged that rampant illegal coal and stone mining had contributed to the worsening flood situation. He recalled that BJP leaders had repeatedly promised before elections that a permanent solution to Assam's flood problem would be found.
Saikia further said that the financial assistance of Rs 369 crore was inadequate to address the enormous losses suffered by flood victims. He questioned when concrete measures would be taken for a permanent solution to the state's flood problem. "Everything is done for Adani and Ambani, while only Rs 369 crore is provided to Assam's flood victims," Saikia said. He also alleged that the government had failed to provide relief in accordance with the provisions of the Disaster Management Act.
Although the administration has announced that around 28,000 flood victims have received assistance so far, Saikia expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of village-wise details regarding the number of beneficiaries and the assistance distributed.
He further claimed that had local people and voluntary organisations not stepped forward with relief during the first three days of the disaster, many flood victims might have died of hunger. Drawing a comparison with Himachal Pradesh, Saikia said that during the 2023 floods, the Congress Government under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had amended relevant provisions and provided assistance of Rs 7 lakh to affected families, besides announcing a Rs 4,500-crore package. He alleged that, in contrast, the Assam government was still waiting for assistance from the Centre.
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