Assam Assembly Faces Turmoil Over Power Supply Crisis

The opening day of the Budget Session in Assam's Legislative Assembly was marked by significant unrest as Congress legislators walked out in protest against the state's deteriorating power supply situation. The opposition accused the government of failing to provide consistent electricity, leading to severe disruptions for residents, especially during the sweltering heat. The Speaker's refusal to allow a discussion on this pressing issue has intensified the criticism, with lawmakers demanding immediate government intervention to address the ongoing crisis. This situation raises concerns about the impact on daily life and the upcoming examinations for students amid frequent power outages.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 6, 2026, 14:20 IST

Protests Erupt in Assam Assembly

APCC legislators protesting against Assam's worsening power supply crisis after walking out on Monday (Photo: IANS)

Guwahati, July 6: The first day of the Budget Session for the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly was marked by intense debates and protests, as Congress members staged a walkout following Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass's dismissal of an adjournment motion aimed at discussing the state's escalating power supply issues.

The motion was introduced by Wazed Ali Choudhury, the Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA, who called for an urgent suspension of the day's agenda to address what he termed an "emergency" due to inconsistent electricity supply, frequent outages, and inadequate transformer maintenance throughout Assam.

After the walkout, Congress MLA Nurul Huda from Rupahihat criticized the state government for its inability to provide consistent electricity despite numerous promises. He stated, "The entire state is suffering in the sweltering heat while people continue to face prolonged load-shedding. The Assam government has failed to provide adequate electricity. Even today, we were not given an opportunity to move an adjournment motion and discuss this issue in the Assembly," he expressed to reporters outside the House.

Joy Prakash Das, a Congress MLA from Nowboicha, emphasized that the Opposition's request for an adjournment motion was intended to highlight the government's failure to deliver on its commitment to provide continuous electricity. "We had sought an adjournment motion over the BJP government's claim of providing 24x7 electricity. However, today people are struggling to get even 27 minutes of uninterrupted power supply. People in villages now joke that electricity comes only at intervals. We wanted a discussion on this issue in the Assembly, but the Speaker did not admit our motion," Das alleged.

Earlier, while presenting the adjournment motion, Choudhury argued that the worsening power situation had reached a level of public emergency that required immediate attention in the Assembly. He pointed out that prolonged outages, erratic supply, and poor transformer maintenance had significantly impacted consumers, despite the government's consistent collection of electricity bills through smart meters.

"The government collects regular payments through smart meters, but what have the people received in return?" Choudhury questioned. He noted that the state's power infrastructure was struggling to keep up with rising demand, with electricity consumption increasing from approximately 2,880 MW to nearly 3,000 MW, while Assam's own hydroelectric and thermal power generation remained limited to about 450-500 MW.

"The state spends nearly Rs 19 crore every day to purchase electricity. Even after spending such a huge amount daily, why are the people of Assam still not getting adequate power supply?" he asked. Choudhury also highlighted that the erratic electricity supply was particularly detrimental to students during examination periods, as there was no consistent schedule for power outages or restorations.

With the Speaker refusing to accept the adjournment motion, Congress legislators accused the government of sidestepping a discussion on one of the state's most urgent public issues.