GUWAHATI: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh continued to reel under Nature’s fury eve as opposition Congress and CPI-M in Assam came down heavily at the BJP-led NDA government in the Centre on Wednesday for failing to send even one Central minister to take stock in flood-ravaged Assam till date and castigated the BJP-led government in the state for failing to make advance planning for tackling the flood that occurs in the state every year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday and took stock of the prevailing situation in the state. Incessant rain-triggered landslides and flood in the last many days have claimed several lives and left behind trails of large scale devastation in the entire state. Many district and administrative headquarters have been completely cut off from the rest of the world while the exact magnitude of the damage is still being assessed.
Prime Minister informed the CM that he had directed Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju to visit Arunachal immediately to take stock of the situation. Rijiju is expected to visit the tragic incident spot of Laptap on Thursday and then make a joint aerial survey of the entire State on Friday with the CM.
Expressing his deep sorrow over loss of several lives at Laptap under Sagalee in Arunachal Pradesh including a minor due to the landslide on Tuesday, Prime Minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members
Assuring all possible support from Government of India, Prime Minister informed Khandu that the PMO is continuously monitoring the situation of Arunachal Pradesh and has assigned Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, P K Mishra for the purpose.
The Prime Minister also enquired about the quantum of damage caused due to the natural calamity and measures taken by the state government and status of relief and rescue operations. He has sought an immediate report on the present situation.
Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) resident Ripun Borah and senior party leader Pradyut Bardoloi on Wednesday accused the BJP government in the state of indulging only in tall talks and doing nothing in the round to mitigate the plight of lakhs of flood-hit who are mostly going without food, drinking water and other basis amenities because of sheer chaos prevailing in the flood relief operations in the state.
“The State government simply did not plan in advance which is the usual practice, to face the fury of flood this year and the people are being subjected to immense misery. The central government headed by the BJP too have failed to live upto the expectations of the people of the state and shown urgency in taking stock of the situation in the state by sending a team of central ministers till date,” the APCC leaders stated.
The state unit of CPI-M too made similar allegations against the BJP governments in the state as well as in the Centre while highlighting how lakhs of people in the flood-ravaged state were being let to suffer because of lack of coordination in flood relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, chief minister Sarbannada Sonowal who held a review meeting with top officials of the state to assess the flood situation, rushed to flood-ravaged Majuli river island district to take stock of the situation there.
Sonowal claimed that there was no dearth of fund for flood relief operations and al the deputy commissioners of the flood-affected districts had been asked to provide sufficient relief and adequate shelter to flood-hit people.