GUWAHATI: Raijor Dal leader and Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi called off his indefinite satyagraha on flood relief after holding discussions with state ministers Pijush Hazarika and Keshab Mahanta.
The two ministers visited the protest site and discussed Gogoi’s demands for assistance to flood-affected people. The agitation ended following the meeting, although details of the discussions and any specific assurances from the government were not immediately available.
Gogoi had begun the satyagraha on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, demanding compensation for flood-affected families and action on other issues related to the disaster. He had said he would withdraw the protest if the government provided full compensation to more than two lakh affected families.
Questioning the government’s assessment, Gogoi said officials had identified around 55,000 affected families, while he maintained that more than two lakh families needed assistance. He alleged discrepancies in the survey and challenged the basis on which the figures had been determined.
“The government says only 55,000 families have been affected, while the actual number is more than two lakh. This figure is misleading,” Gogoi said at a press conference.
The Raijor Dal leader also challenged the BJP to launch a democratic movement demanding relief and compensation for every flood-affected family, saying he would support such an initiative.
He questioned the adequacy of the Centre’s financial assistance, claiming that the Rs 1,200 crore announced for Assam would not be enough to cover the losses caused by the floods. He also accused the state government of failing to adequately communicate the scale of the disaster to the Centre and criticised ministers Sushanta Borgohain, Mayur Borgohain and Dharmeswar Konwar over their handling of the situation.
Gogoi further claimed that Rs 20 crore provided by ONGC had not yet been released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
