Gaurav Gogoi seeks white paper on flood funding as PM Modi arrives in Assam
The APCC chief also sought a state-by-state comparison of funds released during national calamities, citing other states for reference
A file image of APCC chief Gaurav Gogoi. (Photo:@GauravGogoiAsm/X)
Jorhat, Dec 20: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Guwahati on a two-day visit to Assam on Saturday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi demanded that the Centre release a white paper detailing funds allocated to the state for flood and erosion control.
Gogoi raised the demand while addressing a day-long programme in Majuli, calling on the Prime Minister and the Union government to address Assam’s recurring flood and erosion crisis with greater transparency.
“We want the Prime Minister and the central government to seriously look into the issue of floods and erosion in Assam. A white paper should be published clearly stating how much funding has been allocated for flood and erosion control in the state,” Gogoi said.
The APCC chief also sought a state-by-state comparison of funds released during national calamities, citing other states for reference.
“We want a comparison with states such as Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to understand how much funding was allocated when similar disasters occurred there,” he added.
Highlighting infrastructure development under the previous Congress-led government at the Centre, Gogoi said several key connectivity projects in Assam were completed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“The granting of National Project status to projects such as the Bogibeel Bridge and the Silchar–Lumding gauge conversion were supported with adequate economic assistance. Today, the question is how much Assam has actually received for flood and erosion control,” Gogoi said.
Earlier, on October 7, the Union government approved additional central assistance of Rs 313.69 crore for Assam to support recovery efforts following floods and landslides that affected the state in 2024.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. According to official sources, the committee sanctioned a total assistance of Rs 707.97 crore for Assam and Gujarat, with Gujarat receiving Rs 394.28 crore.