'Lakhs struggling to rebuild their lives': Gaurav Gogoi writes to PM, seeks special flood package for flood-hit Assam

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction a special relief and rehabilitation package for Assam following the devastating floods that hit Upper Assam, particularly Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts. The request was made in a letter sent on July 30, while the Prime Minister acknowledged receiving it on August 3.

According to a press release issued on August 7, Gogoi highlighted the "unprecedented flood situation in Upper Assam" and the widespread destruction caused by the disaster. He appealed to the Centre to provide a special package to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the affected areas.

In his letter, Gogoi said the floods had left lakhs of people struggling to rebuild their lives. He noted that 75 people had died while several others were still missing at the time of writing. Thousands of homes were destroyed, farmers suffered extensive crop losses, small businesses were hit, and large numbers of livestock perished, worsening the economic hardship of rural families.

The MP also pointed to extensive damage to public infrastructure, stating that schools, roads, bridges and embankments had either been washed away or rendered unusable, disrupting education and cutting off villages from essential services. He stressed that restoring connectivity had become "an urgent priority".

Seeking central assistance, Gogoi requested that the Government of India sanction a special relief and rehabilitation package that would enable the state to undertake immediate relief operations, reconstruct damaged infrastructure, restore connectivity, rebuild schools, support affected farmers and small businesses, and assist families who had lost their homes and livelihoods. He also urged that the assistance be sanctioned "at the earliest".

The Prime Minister's Office acknowledged Gogoi's letter on August 3, with Modi confirming that he had received the communication sent on July 30. No decision on the request for a special flood relief and rehabilitation package was mentioned in the acknowledgement.