BJP will make Assam flood-free in next five years, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 20 said the BJP would make Assam flood-free in the next five years, as he launched the second phase of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP-II) from Cachar district and reviewed border security arrangements.

Beginning his two-day visit to the poll-bound State, Shah launched the nationwide scheme at Nathanpur village and inspected a stretch of the India-Bangladesh border. He said the development of border villages was a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that strengthening infrastructure in these areas would help curb migration and prevent infiltration.

Highlighting the BJP’s development agenda, Shah said the government had already initiated measures to address Assam’s recurring floods and would ensure the State becomes flood-free within five years. He also cited infrastructure gains over the past decade, stating that more than 24,000 km of roads had been upgraded and several bridges constructed under the “double-engine” government.

The second phase of VVP will cover 1,954 villages under 334 blocks in 17 states bordering Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Assam, 140 villages across 26 blocks in nine districts will be included under the ₹6,900-crore nationwide scheme.

Targeting the opposition, Shah alleged that the Congress had left the country’s borders open during its tenure, leading to infiltration in Assam, and failed to undertake development initiatives. He claimed that the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had effectively dealt with infiltration, violence and insurgency in the State.

After the launch event, Shah reviewed security arrangements along the international boundary, visited a BSF camp, paid tribute at a martyrs’ memorial and planted a banyan tree near the border.

Shah later left for Agartala and is scheduled to attend the CRPF annual day parade in Guwahati on Saturday and lay the foundation stone for the new campus of the 10th Assam Police Battalion at Sonapur.

The Assembly elections to the 126-member Assam House are likely to be held in March-April.