CM visits flood-hit Lakhimpur district; releases Rs 100 cr for embankment repair
NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Aug 9 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday visited the flood-affected areas of Lakhimpur and took stock of the situation of relief and rehabilitation measures.
The Chief Minister arrived at the Leelabari airport and held talks with the Lakhimpur district administration. From there he went straight to Bogoleejan area of North Lakhimpur for a first-hand review of the flood-ravaged villages. He visited the site of the breached portion of the Ranganadi embankment in North Lakhimpur. Sonowal also announced the release of Rs 100 crore for the reconstruction of embankments and rebuilding of infrastructure in Lakhimpur and three other districts and asked the Water Resources department to start the reconstruction work of the embankments immediately. He also warned the North East Electrical Power Cooperation (NEEPCO) not to do anything that could harm the people living on the downstream of Ranganadi.
Sonowal then visited the mazaar of Sufi saint Deka Fakir at Biloteeyagaon in North Lakhimpur and inaugurated a visitor�s hall constructed at the cost of 10 lakh under the local area development fund of the tenure when he was a Member of Parliament from Lakhimpur HPC. From there he visited another flood-affected area of Deobeel-Biloteeya and interacted with the affected people. Later, he left for Guwahati from a temporary helipad at Phukanar Haat in North Lakhimpur. Meanwhile, the Lakhimpur district unit of the All Assam Minority Students� Union (AAMSU) also took out a demonstration against NEEPCO for the dam-induced flood that ravaged North Lakhimpur in recent times. Hundreds of AAMSU workers took out a protest march in North Lakhimpur demanding punitive action against NEEPCO for its role in causing floods in the district. They also demanded compensation to each of the flood-affected people of the district. The Lakhimpur AAMSU also demanded closure of the dam by NHPC at Gerukamukh over Subansiri in their demonstration. In a statement, the president of Lakhimpur AAMSU Raju Ahmed and secretary Badiur Rahman also demanded strict action against the ASEB for its complicity in causing electrocution deaths during floods.
