Assam assembly adjourned for 3 days for MLAs to visit flood-hit area

Guwahati, Jul 27: In an unprecedented move, the Assam Assembly was today adjourned for the next three days for allowing MLAs to visit flood-affected constituencies and give a report to the Chief Minister.

As soon as the House assembled this morning, both ruling and opposition MLAs raised the matter and appealed to the Speaker to adjourn the House so that they could visit the flood-hit areas in their constituencies.

After getting support from Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the issue, Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass held an urgent meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) by adjourning the House for 30 minutes after the Question Hour.

"The flood situation at present is very serious. With support from all MLAs of the House, BAC decided to adjourn the House till July 30," Dass said, announcing adjournment of the House with immediate effect. As per the BAC recommendation, the Budget Session has been extended by a day till August 13, he informed the House.

The Speaker said the House will next meet on August 8 as the scheduled recess after the Budget Session will remain as per earlier programme from July 30 to August 7. Earlier, BJP MLA Topon Kumar Gogoi said all the members are willing to visit flood-affected areas in their respective constituencies.

"Therefore, I request the Speaker to adjourn the House immediately for some days," he said.

Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain extended his party's support to the request. Supporting the MLAs, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said: "It is good that our MLAs are wanting to stand by the people...I request the Speaker to consider this because we should be with the people when they need us the most...I also request all the MLAs to give me a report after visiting their constituencies...When we will send a memorandum to the Centre, we will incorporate their suggestions".

Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed pointed out that while people affected by flood are usually compensated by the government, nobody looks after those who lose everything due to erosion.

"So I request the Chief Minister to help those people and declare erosion as a state problem," he added.

PTI