Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has ended his 14-day sit-in at the Assam Legislative Assembly premises on Thursday after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured him that the government would look into the demands for flood relief and rehabilitation in Upper Assam.
He had alleged that several families were yet to receive the assistance despite the deadline announced by the government. The MLA’s main demand was the payment of Rs 15,000 to every eligible flood-affected family. During the protest, Gogoi said around 4,000 families in his constituency had received the Rs 15,000 assistance, while payments had been sanctioned for another 3,064 families. The additional payments would amount to around Rs 4.60 crore, according to him.
“If the Chief Minister is making these assurances, it would be improper for me to continue the satyagraha without giving the government an opportunity to act. I do not need credit for this. The demand for a CBI investigation remains a point of disagreement. Gogoi has called for a probe into the circumstances surrounding the floods and alleged lapses that contributed to the damage. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta also held discussions with Gogoi over the relief demands, including telephone conversations, as the government considered the issues raised by the MLA.
The government has completed three rounds of surveys covering around 57,000 flood-affected families in Upper Assam. The estimated compensation requirement is approximately Rs 1,100 crore.
Explaining his decision to withdraw the protest, Gogoi said he wanted to give the government an opportunity to act on the Chief Minister’s assurances. I told the government to do the work, and I would give it the credit,” Gogoi said. The government has proposed an expert committee instead, an option Gogoi said he had accepted reluctantly. The state government has said it would send a proposal to the Centre and consider releasing the assistance in phases if central funds are delayed.
