GUWAHATI, AUG 17:

Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the recent severe floods in the three districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat as a ‘national disaster’ and provide Rs 10 lakh to each affected family and business enterprise.

The Raijor Dal MLA from Sivasagar assembly constituency, in a letter to the Prime Minister, submitted a 22-point charter of demands to facilitate urgent recovery, resettlement and long-term rebuilding caused by the devastating floods.

The legislator also called for a CBI investigation into the causes of the July 19 floods, specifically focusing on illegal coal mining in the Assam-Nagaland border areas and illegal sand/stone mining along the bed of the River Dikhow with the help of alleged political patrons.

Gogoi said that the disaster threatens not only human lives and agricultural land but also the civilisational heritage of Assam, and as such, the floods in the three districts should be declared a national disaster.

He also urged for a special ‘Reconstruction package’ of Rs 1,000 crore to rebuild infrastructure in the two worst-affected Assembly constituencies of Sivasagar and Nazira.

He urged Modi to ensure that the one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 declared by the Assam government is given to every flood-affected family previously excluded due to error or omission.

The MLA also called for initiating measures through the agriculture department to irrigate affected fields and supply high-quality seeds to every farmer in the three districts.

The PM should ensure that alternative settlement of land and a pucca house be given to every family who lost their homes in Nepalikhuti village of Nazira district along with allocation of houses under central and state schemes in the three affected districts.

Gogoi further urged that river embankments in the three districts should be raised and strengthened, damaged embankments are reconstructed, and modern sluice gates be constructed at strategic locations to drain discharge from rivers.

He also called for sanction and approval of comprehensive desiltation projects for the Dikhow, Darika, Janji, Mitong and Namdang rivers along with construction of drainage bridges on national highways to drain out water from towns and adjacent areas.

Gogoi appealed to the Prime Minister to allocate sufficient funds for the repair, renovation and reconstruction of damaged educational institutions, religious places and public infrastructure.

The Raijor Dal MLA’s demands also include comprehensive financial compensation for damaged fisheries, small tea growers, agarwood cultivators, youth-managed cooperatives of piggery, poultry, duck, goat farms, plant nurseries, agricultural farms and the local handloom and handicraft sectors for equipment and inventory losses.

Gogoi, in his letter released to the media on Monday, further urged for providing free books and uniforms to all affected students in government, private and semi-private schools and waive admission fees from primary to degree level.

The government should also organise mobile medical units in all flood-hit villages every third day to prevent water-borne diseases.

Gogoi said the catastrophic floods have inflicted extensive damage on individuals and torn apart the socio-economic fabric of the affected districts, for which the immediate attention and financial support of the central government is required.

The recent devastating floods in the state have so far claimed 104 lives. (Source: PTI)