Assam Floods: Gaurav Gogoi Questions PM CARES Fund, Demands Rs 10,000 Crore Special Package

Guwahati: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday questioned the Centre’s response to Assam’s recent flood crisis and asked whether the PM CARES Fund has done enough to support people affected by the devastating floods.

In a social media post, Gogoi claimed that the PM CARES Fund had a corpus of Rs 8,452 crore while Assam was battling one of its worst floods in decades. Referring to the fund’s latest audited report, he alleged that nearly 93% of the corpus was kept in fixed deposits, while only Rs 87.85 lakh was spent during the 2024-25 financial year.

Gogoi also criticised the Centre for what he described as a limited financial response to the flood situation. He said Rs 379.35 crore had been sanctioned to Assam as the first instalment under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

The Congress leader questioned the need for the PM CARES Fund when the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) already exists with a broader mandate to respond to major emergencies.

He said the PM CARES Fund was created to consolidate and leverage resources from different sources, but alleged that it had not provided assistance to Assam when the state urgently required additional resources.

“Instead, Assam had to rely on contributions from organisations and good Samaritans,” Gogoi said, questioning whether the PM CARES Fund had adequately responded to the state’s crisis.

Gogoi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a Rs 10,000-crore special package for Assam to compensate for the economic losses suffered by flood-affected people and repair damaged rural infrastructure.

He said the proposed package should cover damage to roads, shops, schools and drinking water infrastructure, among other essential facilities.

Gogoi’s remarks come amid continuing demands for greater financial assistance and long-term rehabilitation measures for Assam following the widespread floods and erosion that affected several districts of the state.

Also Read: Gauhati University Hands Over 1966 Degree Certificate to Former Mizoram CM Zoramthanga