Akhil calls off sit-in after meeting with 2 Assam ministers over: A practical reader guide

SC asks authorities to set up to 2 special courts to deal: Legal case and next steps

Guwahati, Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi on Thursday called off his 13-day sit-in after two Assam ministers assured him that CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had agreed to his demands for adequate compensation for the flood-affected people of four districts.

The chief minister decided that a high-level inquiry would be instituted and that the committee details would be announced soon, Mahanta said. The MLA said he had asked for a CBI inquiry into the deaths and other issues linked to the floods, and the state government announced a high-level inquiry by an expert committee. The move came after state cabinet ministers Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika met Gogoi at the protest site outside the assembly.

On the demand for payment of an additional ₹ 10,000, the minister said that a survey would be conducted and a decision would be taken accordingly.

The MLA had submitted a memorandum to the government demanding that the affected families of these four districts be given a one-time interim assistance of ₹ 15,000, and an additional ₹ 10,000 for flood-hit people of Sivasagar and Charaideo. He also said, “Providing ₹ 15,000 as an interim financial assistance to each of the 3,068 families will require over ₹ 4.60 crore, and the government has agreed to pay the amount to the families listed by the Raijor Dal. Gogoi said the government had already initiated the process of assisting 57,000 families and the issue of the pending ₹ 15,000 payment has now been resolved.

“We have been deputed by the chief minister to discuss the matter with Gogoi and convey certain measures taken by the government to him,” Mahanta said.