Guwahati: Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday suspended his 14-day protest outside the Assam Legislative Assembly after the state government assured relief and compensation for flood-affected families in Upper Assam. The protest, which began on October 2, was launched to demand adequate compensation for flood-hit people in Sivasagar, Charaideo and other affected districts.
Assam Ministers Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika met Gogoi to discuss the demands, including pending compensation, assistance for damaged houses and the reconstruction of roads and other infrastructure affected by the floods.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Gogoi said the government had initiated the process of providing assistance to 57,000 families. However, he clarified that the agitation had only been suspended and could resume if the government failed to fulfil its commitments.
Gogoi said the issue of the pending Rs 15,000 flood relief payment had been resolved, with almost all eligible beneficiaries having received the amount.
The government has also agreed to prepare another list of beneficiaries after conducting fresh surveys to identify families left out of the initial assessment.
According to Gogoi, several flood-affected families, particularly in Sivasagar, have not been covered by the survey. He said the first list of 57,000 families would be followed by a second list after the remaining assessments are completed.
The MLA had demanded adequate compensation for families whose houses were completely destroyed during the floods. He said the government had assured assistance of Rs 5.70 lakh for completely damaged houses, against his demand for Rs 10 lakh per family.
Gogoi also said the government had agreed to address damage to roads and other infrastructure. He added that he had already submitted a list of affected roads to the authorities and that reconstruction work could begin once the necessary funds were released.
During the meeting, Gogoi urged the government to double the financial assistance provided under the Orunodoi scheme for flood-affected families. He also called for government housing for people whose houses had been completely destroyed.
The MLA said he had sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deaths and other issues linked to the floods. However, the state government announced a high-level inquiry instead.
Gogoi said the demand for a CBI investigation had not been accepted, adding that the government would be judged on whether its assurances translated into concrete action for affected families.
Meanwhile, Hazarika announced that coconut and areca nut saplings would be distributed among affected families in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. The government will also provide seeds for Rabi crops to help farmers resume agricultural activities affected by the floods.
During the discussion, Hazarika expressed displeasure over the wording of a memorandum submitted by Gogoi, which alleged that officials in Dispur were working in air-conditioned rooms while flood-affected people continued to live under temporary shelters.
Gogoi made it clear that the decision to end the sit-in for now did not mean that the movement had come to an end.
“Our movement has not ended completely. It has only been suspended. If the government fails to fulfil its promises, we will be forced to launch another agitation,” he said.
He also appealed to flood-affected people who have been protesting in Sivasagar to suspend their agitation in view of the government's assurances.