Sivasagar, August 25: Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi on Tuesday issued a stern 48-hour deadline to the Assam government, demanding that all remaining flood-affected families in Upper Assam receive the interim financial assistance already announced by the state.
Addressing a public gathering, Gogoi criticised the delay in disbursing the aid, which the government has described as “emergency” or “urgent” relief of ₹15,000 or ₹25,000. “Emergency relief is provided within 24 hours or 48 hours. However, it has been over 36 days now,” he said. “If the remaining flood-affected victims do not get their funds within 48 hours from today, we all will march towards Guwahati.”
The opposition leader further demanded a substantial increase in compensation, arguing that the current packages are inadequate given the scale of destruction. He called for a minimum of ₹10 lakh for every flood-affected family, along with financial support for shopkeepers and business owners who suffered heavy losses. “Many people have lost assets worth more than a crore; they have lost their lives and livelihoods. Otherwise, many families will be pushed back by 25 to 30 years,” Gogoi stated.
Gogoi also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the causes of the recent devastating floods, alleging that illegal mining and extraction of coal, sand and stone had aggravated the disaster. “For whose benefit and for which coal, sand and stone syndicates were the lives of lakhs of people endangered? We demand a proper CBI investigation into those allegedly involved in mining activities that triggered the disaster,” he said.
He warned that the agitation would intensify if the government failed to respond, adding that protesters would gherao the Chief Minister’s Office until the demands were met.
The ultimatum comes amid ongoing concerns over the pace of relief and rehabilitation following the severe floods that hit parts of Upper Assam, particularly Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts earlier this monsoon season. While the state government has released interim assistance to tens of thousands of families through Direct Benefit Transfer and announced higher packages for fully damaged houses, opposition leaders have repeatedly highlighted delays and insufficient support for the worst-hit households.
Gogoi’s latest warning marks an escalation of his sustained campaign for better relief measures, which has included earlier calls for the floods to be declared a national disaster and letters to the Prime Minister seeking higher central assistance.