State and Central governments responsible for the current devastating Assam floods

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The APCC (Assam Pradesh Congress Committee) has held the State and the Central governments responsible for the current devastating floods in Assam. The Opposition party has said that Dispur has failed to get central aid for floods in the State for a number of financial years.

Addressing the media at Rajiv Bhawan here on Wednesday, APCC president Ripun Bora said, "In 2014 the then State government sought Rs 9,370 crore from the Prime Minister. However, not a single penny was released. In 2015 the then State government sought an additional Rs 2,100 crore from the Centre. There was no release of funds from the Centre. In 2016, the State government sought Rs 5,038 crore from the Centre. The State didn't get a single penny.

"In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam on August 1 to assess the flood damage in the State. Here in Assam he announced a few flood packages for Assam and the Northeast – Rs 2,350 crore for floods in the Northeast, an instant release of Rs 250 crore for Assam floods, Rs 400 crore for fighting erosion by the Brahmaputra and Rs 100 crore for the study of the course of the Brahmaputra. However, even today the Centre hasn't released the promised funds, nor has the State government been able to put the right pressure on the Centre for release. A central expert team came to the State in 2017 and put the damage by floods in Assam to Rs 4,000 crore. However, the State government opted not to seek any additional funds.

"An RTI has exposed that Assam got no fund on flood management head from the Centre from 2014 to 2018, barring the State's share of the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund). The RTI has further revealed that Assam got Rs 288.60 crore in 2014-15, Rs 414 crore in 2015-16, Rs 434.70 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 456 crore in 2017-18.

"According to the Disaster Management Act, in the event of SDRF funds not being enough to fight floods, the NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) should pump in funds. However, the State has not got any such funds from the NDRF from 2014-2018."

Bora further said that the Centre released SDRF funds less than the amounts fixed by the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions. "The BJP did promise in its 2014 Lok Sabha poll manifesto and in its vision documents in 2016 Assembly election that it would take measures to control floods in Assam. However, after coming to power the party did nothing. The government promised to dredge the Brahmaputra, but failed to do it. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari did promise to construct an express highway on either side of the Brahmaputra in 2016, but has not done it," he said.

On the reason behind the floods being so devastating in the State this year, Bora said, "As many as 101 schemes were approved in 2020-21 under the SDRF head. However, only two of the schemes have been implemented by the State Water Resource department. Likewise, not a single of the 42 NABARD schemes meant for controlling floods have been implemented in the State. This part, not a single of the 188 breaches of embankments in the State last year has been repaired by the department. The Chief Minister said that 450 weak embankments in the State would be renovated by April 30, 2020. However, on the pretext of COVID-19, not a single embankment could be renovated," he said.

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