Sought Union Govt package for relief, rehabilitation of flood victims, says Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state has demanded a support package from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation of the people ravaged by an unprecedented flood. The state Government placed its demand before the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which concluded its four-day tour to flood-devastated districts of Upper Assam on Wednesday.
“The floods this year has been on an unprecedented scale, leaving behind a trail of devastation which our Double Engine Govt will mitigate to sufferings of our people,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He said that the state Government has placed a demand for recognition of the Upper Assam floods as an “atypical, high-intensity, rapid-onset event” with flexible norms for damage assessment and assistance.
It demanded a “dedicated Central support package” for Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat, covering relief, housing, infrastructure and livelihood restoration, Sarma said. He, however, did not mention how much money the state has asked from the Centre under the package.
Assam also sought the establishment of a Northeast disaster risk reduction mechanism to strengthen regional coordination across all phases of disaster management covering Assam and seven neighbouring states, Sarma said.
The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday even as water receded from most parts of the state, with the death toll rising to 78 and over three lakh people continuing to reel under the deluge.
Sarma said that the IMCT visited the state to undertake an on-ground assessment and review the ongoing relief, restoration and rehabilitation efforts as per assurances given by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“During the review, the team was apprised of the extensive damage caused to critical infrastructure, agriculture and livelihoods,” he added.
To deal with the situation effectively, Assam sought relaxation of documentation and eligibility norms under Central and centrally-sponsored schemes to enable affected households to access hassle-free support, the CM said.
Besides, a district-wise reconstruction plan for roads, bridges, schools, health, water and power infrastructure and a rapid multi-agency assessment and strengthening of breached embankments on hill-fed rivers before the next monsoon were also demanded from the Centre, he added.
Lastly, the state requested convergence of disaster assistance with national programmes for housing, water, agriculture, health and social protection, along with targeted support for women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly, Sarma said.
“We are confident that the team will keep the ground realities and our best interests in mind and communicate to the Centre accordingly,” he added.
The Union Home Minister on Wednesday dialled the Assam Chief Minister to take stock of the flood situation, while the latter said that although floodwaters have receded, many are unable to return as their houses have either been damaged or filled with mud and silt.
Shah, who called Sarma for the second time in seven days, assured him of all possible assistance from the Centre for relief and restoration efforts.
