‘Neither CM nor CS came’: Akhil Gogoi continues indefinite satyagraha over Assam flood relief

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi on October 3 continued his indefinite satyagraha at the Assam Assembly premises, demanding immediate disbursement of promised relief and compensation to families affected by the devastating floods in the state.

Gogoi said it was unprecedented for a sitting MLA to stage a satyagraha inside the Assembly campus when the House was not in session, demanding that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Secretary come forward for discussions on relief and compensation.

“It is an unprecedented event in the history of Assam that a sitting MLA is staging a Satyagraha within the Assembly campus,” Gogoi said.

He said more than 24 hours had passed since he began the protest near the Gandhi statue, but neither the Chief Minister nor the Chief Secretary had met him. He also claimed that no Cabinet minister had visited the protest site and that no process had been initiated to address the demands of flood-affected people.

Gogoi said his protest was centred on three demands.

According to him, the government had promised Rs 25,000 in emergency assistance to affected families, but while around 70 per cent of families had received Rs 15,000, the remaining Rs 10,000 had not been disbursed. He further claimed that 30 to 40 per cent of affected families had not received even the initial Rs 15,000.

The Raijor Dal leader said the satyagraha was aimed at expediting the release of the pending assistance.

Gogoi also questioned the repeated surveys conducted by the state government, saying they had not resulted in a concrete decision on compensation. He claimed the government had cited its financial position and indicated that additional compensation would have to be secured from the Centre.

He said Chief Minister Sarma had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice but alleged that no assurance had been given on additional assistance. Gogoi also criticised Modi for not visiting Assam to assess the flood situation or meet affected people.

Gogoi said his indefinite protest would continue until the government took a decision on the demands.

The protest comes after Gogoi had earlier set October 1 as a deadline for the disbursement of promised flood assistance. He has also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for families that suffered major losses in the floods.

The Assam government, however, has disputed Gogoi's claims regarding the pending assistance. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government was already carrying out surveys and had identified 55,000 families for assistance, while accusing Gogoi of seeking political credit for the relief.