GUWAHATI: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold discussion with ministers and senior officials of Assam to explore way for permanent solution to the flood problem of Assam during his one-day visit to the flood-hit state on Tuesday.
“During the visit to the state on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will focus more on exploring permanent solution to the problem of flood and erosion in the state than to just make aerial survey of flood affected areas,” Assam’s finance, education, health etc., minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma informed here on Monday.
The Prime Minister who is scheduled to arrive here around 10 A.M., will first hold a meeting with the council of ministers of Assam along with senior state government officials to discuss about the flood situation and ways for permanent solution to the problem that has become a bane for the economy of the state.
The PM was unlikely to go for aerial survey of the flood-hit areas as the flood water had almost receded in many parts of the state. The Prime Minister will also hold a meeting with the legislators of the BJP and its alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
The minister said that as there was no dearth of fund for flood relief operation in the state , Assam government would request the Prime Minister to release Rs 1225 crore due to Assam under the Flood Mitigation Programme (FPM) to enable the state to strengthen and restore river bank embankments.
Meanwhile, an official source informed that the PM would hold separate meetings with chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur here tomorrow before he leaves for New Delhi.
Former, Assam chief minister and Congress leader, Tarun Gogoi on Monday demanded that the ruling BJP, as per its promise made to the people of Assam before election, must work out a strategy to solve the flood problem in Assam permanently.
Meanwhile, Assam agriculture department has requested the Centre for Rs 200 crore assistance to tide over the damages caused by the flood to the standing crop as well as the agriculture land. State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora informed that the loss in the agriculture sector due to the flood was to the tune of over Rs 193.19 crore. Paddy seedling are being provided to the farmers whose standing crop was damaged in the flood.
