Rs 2,350 cr “meagre” amount for flood-hit NE states: Former CM Gogoi

Guwahati: Senior Congress leader and Ex Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, on Wednesday said, Rs 2,350 crore package announced by the PM for all flood-hit northeastern states was “meagre”. He alleged the BJP government in Assam did not present the real situation of the state to PM Narendra Modi.

“For the Ganga rejuvenation project, Rs 20,000 crore were announced, then why only Rs 2,350 crore for the entire northeast,” the former chief minister asked and demanded Rs 50,000 crore for tackling floods caused by the Brahmaputra, reports India Today.

Gogoi said: “I think the Assam government did not present the proper picture before the Prime Minister. Modi said he sympathised with Assam and the northeastern states, then why only over Rs 2,000 crore (announced for flood-hit states).”

A package of Rs 2,350 crore for all northeastern states hit by floods on Tuesday was announced by the PM and an immediate release of Rs 250 crore for flood-hit Assam.

He also announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to floods in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had said, adding the seriously injured people will get Rs 50,000 each.

“He (Modi) only sheds crocodile tears for the region. For five states, he stayed only for five hours. Why didn’t he go and listen to the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of the flood victims,” the Congress leader asked.

He further added that he came to know that during Tuesday’s meeting with the PM, the entire presentation was given by the chief secretary. It should have been by the minister concerned. The state water resources minister only addressed a press conference after PM Modi left.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had presented to the prime minister a loss of Rs 3,888 crore loss due to the latest floods but did not submit any memorandum.

“I demand the government to come out with a ‘white paper’ on flood relief funds from the Centre. Let the public know how much money Assam got during our tenure and now. Also, it should mention how much the Centre gave to Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Rajasthan and other states compared to Assam,” he said.

Gogoi also alleged that the Central flood funds sanctioned during his tenure as the chief minister were not released then, but slowly being given to the state now.