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Protests across Assam over Modi’s ‘meagre’ flood relief fund

A day after Narendra Modi's visit, protests will be staged across Assam on Wednesday to demand adequate financial compensation for the flood-hit people.

By Oneindia
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Google Oneindia News

Guwahati, August 2: First, they were unhappy about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lack of attention towards the flood victims of Assam. The "irked" voters of the state questioned, "Why Modi did not visit the flood-affected state?"

On Tuesday, PM Modi came to Guwahati, attended meetings with chief ministers of various northeastern states to take stock of flood and landslide situation in the region and announced Rs 2,000 crore to tackle natural calamities.

floods in assam

It seems people of the state are not happy with the PM and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments, both at the state and the Centre, alleging that funds are "too little and too late" to mitigate the problems of millions of flood-hit people.

All the organisations and individuals who have expressed displeasure over Modi's financial assistance to the flood-affected state alleged that it was "meagre". A day after Modi's visit, protests will be staged across the state on Wednesday to demand adequate financial compensation for the flood-affected people.

The 24-hour protests have been hosted by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), a farmers' body, at every district headquarters in the state from 10 am Wednesday, stated reports.

"The state agriculture department alone requested Rs 200 crore from the Centre to cope with the loss in the agricultural sector. The state government also said it had demanded Rs 3,000 crore as financial assistance for the flood-hit state and another Rs 1,300 crore to rebuild the embankments," said the KMSS in a statement.

"Modi announced Rs 2,000 crore for the Northeast. If it is divided among all the states of the region the amount for Assam will be meagre. The Rs 250-crore Modi announced today for the state disaster response force was a due of the state. But we welcome the announcement of Rs 100 crore for study on the Brahmaputra," the statement added.

The KMSS alleged that Modi came to Assam after he was criticised for not visiting the state that has been reeling under floods since June, but was quick to conduct an aerial survey of his home state, Gujarat, where he announced a financial package of Rs 500 crore.

The members of the group questioned Modi's silence over the proposed 168 dams in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. Dams are one of the main causes of flash floods in the state, as often excessive water from these dams are released from Arunachal Pradesh which flows downstream to Assam.

"The people of Assam had expected that during his visit Modi would announce the floods and erosion problem of the state a national problem. But no such promise was made," said KMSS leader Doijya Konwar.

Senior Congress leader and former CM Tarun Gogoi tweeted, "We welcome Modi's visit to Assam, but it is too late now. If Modi is genuinely committed towards Assam's problem he will have to form an action plan to solve this problem of flood and erosion permanently for the welfare of the people and the state."

"Centre's negligence (to Assam) is evident as it is yet to form the Northeast Brahmaputra River Rejuvenations Authority (NEBRRA). Within two years after coming to power, the BJP has formed the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA),but no initiative so far to form NEBRRA," Gogoi added.

The powerful students' organisation, All Assam Students' Union (AASU), said the financial assistance announced by Modi was too little. "We had demanded Rs 5,000 crore financial assistance to the state, including Rs 1,000 crore for Lakhimpur district. Instead, Modi announced Rs 2,000 crore and it was not clear how much of it Assam will receive," said AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi.

"If he had come earlier he would have seen the actual damage caused by floods and suffering of the people. He rushed to his home state Gujarat to take stock of the floods situation and announced Rs 500 crore but did not come to Assam," he added.

Similarly, the Asom Jatoyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), another students' body, expressed its unhappiness over Modi's "late visit" to the state. The AJYCP members added that they too were disappointed with "very low" financial assistance to the state.

"Instead of visiting the affected areas, Modi reviewed the flood situation of the state sitting in Guwahati. Such a review could have been done sitting in New Delhi," said AJYCP general secretary Palash Changmai.

This monsoon, floods have created havoc across Assam. As per official figures, a total of 83 people died due to floods. The floods have affected 2,09,051.65 hectares of cropland in the state.

OneIndia News

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