Centre's attitude lackadaisical towards Assam: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the Centre has shown lackadaisical attitude towards Assam in flood relief fund as it is yet to send an assessment team to make a survey of the damages caused by floods this year that claimed several lives.

"The Centre is yet to depute an assessment team despite assurance by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and that the state has been left in the lurch," Gogoi said in a statement here.

At the time of floods, the Union Home Minister gave assurance that there would be no dearth of relief fund to flood-hit Assam though the Centre is yet to depute an assessment team to the state, he said.

The Centre is quick to announce special packages for Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu but is yet to send a fact-finding team to Assam to take stock of the damages wrecked by floods this year, Gogoi commented.

"The Centre has also not provided any separate flood relief fund to the state. Whatever amount we have got, that is due under the SDRF. In any case, we would have received it," Gogoi added.

In addition to SDRF, the Disaster Management Act has provided for giving special Central assistance to any state through a separate fund called National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to deal with any situation arising out of various natural calamities.

"The Central government has not sanctioned any special funds under NDRF to flood-hit Assam for the current year's floods," he said.

Gogoi said that the state government has submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking total funds for Rs 1,526.19 crore.