GUWAHATI, Aug 2 - Responding to reactions coming from various organisations including the AASU over alleged apathy of the Central government towards the devastating flood situation in the State, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh today asserted that it would prevail upon the Centre to declare flood in Assam as a national problem.
The party in its vision document had clearly stated that flood in Assam should be declared as a national problem. State BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami said that the party is committed towards its promise made to the electorate before the Assembly election.
�A section is creating a lot of din over alleged apathy of the Centre towards Assam. We want to assure the people that the Centre is ready to help Assam in every possible way,� said Goswami, informing that a Central team of experts will visit the State in the next ten days to make an assessment of the loss incurred in the flood. He also revealed that the State government too will make a survey on its own.
�On the basis of these reports, the Centre will allocate the required funds to Assam,� said Goswami.
It needs to be mentioned that in the backdrop of controversies arising over the alleged biased stand of the Centre on the issue of fund distribution amongst the states, the State BJP had a meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and discussed the flood situation.
�The Chief Minister has said that the SDRF has Rs 620 crore to tide over the present crisis,� said Goswami, adding that the Chief Minister has already issued directives to prepare a comprehensive report for declaring flood in Assam as a national problem.
The BJP has directed all its members to extend cooperation to the agencies involved in flood relief operations. Party leaders and members are in the areas where life got crippled in the deluge and helping the affected people.
�Sarbananda Sonowal is sincerely pursuing the problem to find a solution and has discussed the issue with experts including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for controlling the Brahmaputra and its tributaries,� mentioned Goswami, pointing out that the previous government had never taken the flood problem seriously, diverting funds meant for flood relief.
Appreciating the steps taken by the Sarbananda Sonowal government for respite of the flood-affected people, the BJP said that all must come forward to tackle the situation instead of creating controversies.
