MLA Akhil Gogoi's Satyagraha at Assam Assembly for disaster relief

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi is staging an indefinite Satyagraha at the Assam Assembly, demanding the government disburse the promised Rs 25,000 compensation to families affected by the July 19 disaster and criticising the CM and PM's inaction.

MLA Launches Indefinite Satyagraha at Assembly

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi has launched an indefinite Satyagraha on the grounds of the Assam Legislative Assembly in Guwahati, protesting the state government's delayed response and missing relief compensation following a devastating disaster on July 19.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, he informed that he initiated the Satyagraha at the Mahatma Gandhi statue within the Assembly premises on Friday; however, no formal outreach or dialogue has been initiated by the top administration officials. "It is an unprecedented event in the history of Assam that a sitting MLA is staging a Satyagraha (peaceful protest) within the Assembly campus, even when the Assembly session is not in progress, demanding that the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary come forward to discuss compensation for the massive disaster that struck Assam on July 19. I began this protest yesterday at the Gandhi statue. More than 24 hours have passed, yet neither the Chief Minister nor the Chief Secretary has arrived. Not a single Cabinet Minister has visited us, and no process has been initiated to resolve the issues faced by the disaster-affected people," he said.

Demands and Criticisms

Call for Urgent Fund Disbursement

Underlining the demands, he said that the protest calls for the urgent disbursement of the promised Rs 25,000 relief package to all disaster-affected families. He asserted that while approximately 70 per cent of affected families have received an initial instalment of Rs 15,000, none have been paid the remaining Rs 10,000 balance. Additionally, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of hit families have yet to receive any portion of the initial financial assistance.

"We have three straightforward demands. First, regarding the promised emergency relief fund, the amount of Rs 25,000 must be disbursed to every affected family as quickly as possible. While 70% of families have received Rs 15,000 so far, the remaining Rs 10,000 has not been paid to anyone. Moreover, 30 per cent to 40 per cent of families have not even received the initial Rs 15,000. Our Satyagraha aims to expedite the release of these funds," he said.

Gogoi Criticises State and Central Governments

Further, he criticised the state government for citing a poor financial position and shifting the responsibility of funding to the Centre without securing concrete results. He said, "Second, despite the Assam government conducting repeated surveys, no resolution or concrete decision has been reached. The state government claims that it lacks the necessary funds, citing its poor financial position. This means, according to the government, that the disaster compensation must be secured from the Central government."

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gogoi pointed out that he has not visited the disaster-stricken state so far, even though he has met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma twice. He further reiterated his resolve to remain seated at the campus until the state or central government formally announces concrete compensation measures and outlines a clear timeline for fund distribution. "Although the Chief Minister of Assam has met the Prime Minister twice, there has been no assurance or decision from him so far. We have suffered such a massive disaster, yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not visited Assam to assess the situation or interact with the affected people. I am sitting here with this firm conviction, and our protest will continue until a decision is announced," he said. (ANI)

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