Guwahati, July 30 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Wazed Ali Choudhury, on Thursday urged the Centre to provide a special financial package of Rs 2,000 crore for flood-ravaged districts in the state, claiming that the scale of devastation requires massive rehabilitation efforts.
Addressing reporters here, the Congress leader said a delegation of party MLAs visited the worst-affected districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat, where unprecedented flooding has claimed around 75 lives and displaced thousands of people.
Choudhury said the Congress Legislature Party divided its legislators into three teams to assess the ground situation. While Deputy Leader of the Opposition Jakir Hussain Sikdar visited Charaideo, another team toured Jorhat district, and Choudhury himself visited Sivasagar along with other legislators.
He alleged that several of the inundated areas had never witnessed floods in the past, leaving both the administration and residents unprepared for such a disaster.
“The government never anticipated that these areas would face floods of this magnitude. There were hardly any boats available for rescue operations, and the number supplied by the government was grossly inadequate. As a result, many people remained stranded in interior areas,” Choudhury said.
Expressing concern over the loss of lives, he claimed the death toll could rise further as rescue and relief operations continue.
The Congress leader said the party distributed relief materials worth around Rs 2 lakh through its district committees during the visits, but stressed that the assistance was only a small contribution compared to the scale of destruction. “From what we witnessed on the ground, at least Rs 2,000 crore is required to restore the affected areas and help people return to normal life,” he said.
Choudhury said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a special package of Rs 2,000 crore for rehabilitation and reconstruction in the flood-hit districts.
He also criticised the state government for not giving adequate importance to the flood situation during the ongoing Assembly session. He alleged that the Opposition’s demand for a detailed discussion on the disaster was ignored.
–IANS
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