Guwahati, Oct 15: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, on Thursday, suspended his 316-hour-long sit-in at the Assam Legislative Assembly premises over relief and rehabilitation for flood-affected families in Upper Assam, following assurances from the state government.
The decision came after Cabinet ministers Pijush Hazarika and Keshab Mahanta visited the protest site around 7 am on the Chief Minister’s instructions and held discussions with Gogoi on his demands.
The ministers received a memorandum from the Raijor Dal chief outlining his demands, including compensation for affected families, expansion of the beneficiary list, an inquiry into the causes of the floods and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
“I am suspending the satyagraha for now, but this is not the end. If the government fails to honour its assurances or the damaged infrastructure is not rebuilt, we will return to the streets,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi said the government had initially accused him of staging the protest for publicity. However, sustained agitations by Raijor Dal, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti and Yuva Bahini eventually led to discussions with the government.
He added that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had messaged him on WhatsApp, asking him to “trust me once”.
According to Gogoi, the Chief Minister had assured him that the first list would cover 57,000 flood-affected families, while a second list would be prepared to consider claims from those who believe they have been left out.
The government has not accepted his demand for Rs 10 lakh in compensation, with the assistance under consideration ranging from Rs 1.70 lakh to Rs 5.60 lakh, he said.
Mahanta said the government had examined nearly 5,000 cases submitted by Gogoi concerning the pending Rs 15,000 relief payment. Of these, 3,068 people were found eligible for assistance.
“A total of Rs 4.60 crore will be released to 3,068 eligible people who have not received the Rs 15,000 assistance,” Mahanta said, adding that the process of providing compensation to the 57,000 identified flood-affected families had also begun.
He said another list would be prepared after examining claims from people who believe they were excluded from relief.
Mahanta also said the Chief Minister was willing to order a high-level inquiry into the causes of the floods and measures needed to prevent their recurrence.
The "satyagraha", which began on October 2, was suspended after 316 hours and 30 minutes. Gogoi thanked the people of Sivasagar, many of whom had been staging a separate protest outside the district commissioner’s office since October 3.
He urged those protesters to suspend their agitation temporarily but asked them to remain prepared to resume it if necessary.