"Whoever is making fun of us doesn't know us": CM Himanta defends Assam flood relief

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, August 3, hit back at criticism over the state's Rs 15,000 interim assistance for flood-affected families, asserting that those mocking the government's relief measures "don't know us" and insisting that the administration would continue supporting victims throughout the rehabilitation process.
 

Speaking to journalists during his visit to flood-hit areas of Nazira in Sivasagar district, Sarma said the people of Nazira and Sivasagar understood the government's commitment and were confident that more assistance would follow.
 

"Whoever is making fun of us doesn't know us. The people of Nazira constituency and Sivasagar district love us and we will help them for many days," the chief minister said.
 

Responding to criticism that the Rs 15,000 interim relief was inadequate, Sarma said the amount should not be viewed as the government's final support for affected families.

"Whoever is saying that Rs 15,000 is very little, their thinking is very small. They don't know about us. But the people know us. They know that the government is with them, so the people are not questioning us," he said.

The chief minister stressed that the government's immediate priority was to stand by flood-hit families rather than engage in political debates.

"In these hard times, we should be with the people. People will see what we do and how we help them. We will help them very effectively," he said.
 

Sarma also outlined the next phase of the rehabilitation exercise, announcing that training sessions for damage assessment teams would be held in Jorhat on August 7 and in Nazira on August 8. Following the training, teachers would visit every affected household to prepare a detailed list of losses, which would be used to determine compensation and rehabilitation assistance.
 

During the media interaction, a journalist asked the chief minister about the recent cloudburst in Nagaland's Mon district. Sarma declined to comment, saying his focus remained on Assam's flood victims.
 

"Don't ask more questions as I am here to be with the people. Otherwise, people will say politics is being done. We don't need answers to those questions now; they can be answered later. Today, we are here to be with the people," he said.
 

The chief minister spent the day reviewing relief and rehabilitation efforts in flood-affected areas of Sivasagar district and interacting with residents as the government continued its response to one of Assam's worst floods in recent years.