STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Voters Party International (VPI) has continued its protest on Saturday, in search for a permanent solution of the flood in Assam at VIP road, 6 Mile here in the city. They have been protesting against the government from August 20. The maximum participants in the protest were seen on Saturday and were mostly from Sonitpur and Bishvnath districts.
The state president of the VPI, Lalit Pegu said while addressing the protesters that if the government has no mind to find out the permanent solution of the flood, then the proposal of VPI should be accepted by the government to solve this problem permanently. He added that the government knows very well that the VPI is struggling from a long time to make a law for distribution of liquid money created by the machines, by the resources of nature and by the output of existence of state machinery and laws. Pegu explained that the said cash amount is proposed to give all voters and this amount is called as “votership” on the similar lines of scholarship.
State president of VPI further added that although the amount of this money falls Rs 6000 monthly to each and every voter, he observed that by copying this idea partially, the central government has started Rs 500 to pay only the farmers. He informed the audience that this proposal was signed by the present Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal himself, when he was Member of Parliament in 2005. He stated that this proposal was approved by the committee of experts in 2011. Pegu said that if the government is not ready to give this money to all, then at least this money should be given regularly from April to September only to those voters, who are affected by flood. The state president of VPI stated that the affected people will be empowered financially to migrate during flood period to safer places and they will return back when the flood will disappear. Pegu concluded that by the act of Votership the people of Assam can get rid permanently from the problem of recurring flood.
Earlier to this, a delegation headed by Amina Sherwani met with the minister of environment Parimal Sukla Baidya on Saturday, who gave assurances to discuss this matter with the minister of water resources of government of Assam. The VPI delegation demanded with minister to form a Joint Action Committee Comprising of the civil society and representative of the government of flood issue. In the memorandum given to minister it was mentioned that representative of all the recognized parties, all registered and unrecognized parties, all NGOs working on flood issues and all media institutions should be included in the JAC. The steering committee of the protest of VP has decided to continue until the adequate response of the government on acceptance of the demand of Joint Action Committee.