GUWAHATI, Dec 11 � Cutting across party lines, members of the Assam Legislative Assembly today expressed their displeasure over the functioning of the committee to manage the calamity relief fund, while, Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi said that flood and erosion should be declared as national problems.
The Speaker, while intervening in the discussion on the issue of floods during the Question Hour, said that the Central Government should declare flood and erosion as national problems and repair of damaged embankments can at best be considered as temporary measures to deal with the problems. He said that there is need for permanent measures to control the fury of floods and erosion as the heights of the river beds are increasing every year. He said that an all-party delegation of the Assam Assembly should go to Delhi to put pressure on the Government to declare flood and erosion as national problems.
The Speaker further pointed out that if China can effectively control floods, there is no reason why India cannot do so.
Earlier, Padma Hazarika (AGP) said that the State Government should have been able to convince the Centre to declare flood and erosion as national problems. He said that the promises made by the State Government during the Budget session of the Assembly are yet to be fulfilled and the people are getting frustrated, which may lead to serious law and order situation.
Hazarika also expressed his displeasure with the functioning of the committee to manage the calamity relief fund and alleged that proposals are pending before the committee for months. Members of ruling and Opposition parties also expressed their displeasure with the functioning of the committee and demanded that it should be headed by the Revenue Minister.
