The ruling BJP on Wednesday promised to make Assam flood-free in the next five years, the announcement coming in wake of the Opposition criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not raising the flood and erosion issue at a rally in flood-prone Dhemaji on February 22.
Union home minister Amit Shah made the announcement during his day-long trip during which he addressed a rally each in Nagaon and Karbi Anglong district while offering prayers at the Maha Mrityunjay Temple in Nagaon district for the ‘Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav’ of the temple where the “world’s tallest” Shivalinga at 126 feet is located.
Shah said the ruling BJP has done a lot of work in Assam but there is one thin g we want to do now: Make Assam flood-free in the next five years.
“We want to make Assam baadh-mukt, Modi ji want to make Assam baadh-mukt. So much people suffer because of flood, because of floods lakhs and crores are displaced. In the past four years we have done satellite mapping of the state. We have identified places from where water will be diverted and where we will build big lakes to store the water for tourism and for irrigation purposes to make Assam flood free. I have come to tell the people of Assam that elect BJP government one more time and in the next five years we will make Assam flood free,” Shah said.
Modi had during his visit to Dhemaji on February announced projects worth Rs 3,222 crore in Assam but did not dwelt on the flood and erosion despite the district being one of the worst affected in the state, triggering criticism by the Opposition parties.
Every year flood causes extensive damage in the state. Last year was particularly severe as flood coincided with the pandemic. Flood had affected over 56 lakh people, 5,305 villages, 30 of the 33 districts while leaving over 107 dead last year, reflecting the enormity of the problem that people of the state face every year.
A significant part of the Shah’s 23-minute speech was devoted to the development that has taken place in Assam under the BJP-led government. On Wednesday too, he launched a Rs 180 crore project to beautify Batadrava in Nagaon district, the birthplace of Vaishavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva and make it as popular as the Golen Temple.
Sticking to his peace and development pitch at both his rallies, Shah said that the Modi government has allocated Rs 53,000 crore for Assam’s development while throwing an open challenge to the Opposition Congress to show what the latter achieved in their “70 years in comparison to the BJP’s seven years”.
Shah also attacked the Congress-AIUDF alliance, asking the crowd whether a Congress, which is “seen only” during elections, or a BJP government can prevent influx, corruption or ensure peace and development. “You have given us free years and seen the development that has taken place. Give us another five years and we will ensure Assam becomes one of the developed states in the country. We have to make Assam, northeast the biggest GDP contributor in the country,” Shah said.
He, however, praised deceased Congress chief minister Tarun Gogoi for his great contributions. Gogoi had ruled Assam from 2001 to 2016.
At Dengaon in Karbi Anglong, Shah continued with his development and peace pitch, hailing the members of the five militant outfits who laid down arms on February 23, because peace was must for development. He also assured the militant outfits that whatever has been assured to them will be fulfilled within a year and that the revels who joined the mainstream will “have as much right as I have”.
Shah also said that special care would be taken for the development of Karbi Anglong making it one of the developed regions of the state. As many as 1040 rebels surrendered their arms on Tuesday.
The Congress hit back in equal zeal, on BJP’s “latest” promise of checking flood to what it has done for the country.
“Let them first complete the dredging of the Brahmaputra they had promised. Let them first fulfil the promises they have made since 2014: throwing out illegal migrants, ST status to six communities and implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, among others. Its a pretty long list,” PCC media department chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma told The Telegraph.
She also listed out what the Congress’ contributions to India’s development journey.
“The airports that he moves around in various parts of India, the computer that he uses, the TV channels and Radio, including DD and AIR, that his party uses, the MP houses that they live in — the institutions that they are trying to sell one by one... privatise one by one... who established all these? I can hand him a book on what the Congress did in the last 70 years. All this is nothing but loose talk.”
Sharma added, “Home minister Amit Shah’s speech is full of contradictions. He criticises the Congress government and seeks to wipe out 15 years of Tarun Gogoi government that brought peace and development to Assam and at the same time says that the BJP has recognised late Gogoi’s contribution by giving him Padma Bhushan.”
