Sivasagar Students March to Dispur Demanding Flood Relief
Students Protest for Flood Compensation
Floods damage Sivasagar industries (Photo: AT)
Sivasagar, Oct 24: The All Assam SC Students’ Union, along with Asom Chatra Yuva Sanmilan, organized a long march from Sivasagar to Dispur to protest against the government's alleged negligence in compensating those affected by the floods in Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat districts.
The student organizations plan to present a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Janata Bhawan, demanding a minimum compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each family impacted by the catastrophic floods on July 19. They are also calling for sufficient compensation for the infrastructure losses in the three districts and a complete ban on illegal quarrying of coal, stone, and sand from the Dikhow riverbed near the Assam-Nagaland border, as well as the transit of these materials through Assam.
Parasjyoti Das, the president of the SC Students’ Union, expressed to the media on Friday that the state government has failed to provide adequate relief to the flood-affected individuals in the three districts.
He further criticized the Central Government for its lack of engagement, noting that no senior officials have visited the state or announced a relief package to date.
Das mentioned that the long march aims to attract the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP leadership to the struggles faced by those affected by the floods.
This march occurs amid ongoing disputes regarding the distribution of flood relief in Sivasagar.
Previously, Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi concluded a 316-hour sit-in protest after the state government promised an additional Rs 4.6 crore in relief for 3,068 flood-affected individuals. This protest highlighted the grievances of families who were excluded from receiving relief assistance.
In related news, Assam is expected to receive Rs 843 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the financial year 2026-27, following a review by the Centre of the assistance norms under the SDRF and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
This allocation includes Rs 758.70 crore in central assistance and Rs 84.30 crore as the state's contribution, with the first installment of central assistance amounting to Rs 379.35 crore.
The demands from the student bodies arise as discussions about compensation for flood damage persist, with affected communities advocating for adequate support for their damaged homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods.