Guwahati, Aug 2: As Upper Assam transitions from emergency response to long-term recovery, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is scheduled to visit Dibrugarh on Sunday before touring the worst flood-hit districts to review relief measures and assess the ground situation.
“In a short while from now, I will be reaching Dibrugarh and thereafter heading to the flood-affected areas to meet the people, oversee ongoing relief efforts and lay the groundwork for a foolproof assessment exercise to ensure appropriate compensation for those affected,” Sarma said in a social media post.
As of Sunday, flood-related death toll in the state remained unchanged at 82, with no fresh fatalities reported in the state over the past 24 hours. The number of people affected also declined to 1.78 lakh, although the number of flood-hit districts increased to seven.
On Saturday, during a live session on social media, Sarma announced a series of additional relief measures for flood-affected residents.
He said the government would waive July electricity bills for domestic and Jeevan Dhara consumers using up to 300 units in the severely affected districts of Sivasagar and Charaideo.
“For Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, the Assam government has decided to waive domestic electricity bills for the month of July for consumption up to 300 units. The payment will be made from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced a waiver of land revenue (khazana) for flood-affected residents of the two districts for the current financial year.
Reiterating the government’s earlier announcement of interim assistance, Sarma said Rs 15,000 would be disbursed to affected families between August 3 and August 5.
According to preliminary estimates, around 55,000 families in Sivasagar, 20,000 in Charaideo, 7,000 in Jorhat and nearly 3,000 in Golaghat have been identified for the one-time relief.
“Families that require additional support to restart their lives and resettle in their homes will receive another Rs 10,000 from August 10, taking the total assistance to Rs 25,000,” he said, adding that the enhanced assistance would be extended to affected families in Sivasagar and Charaideo.
The government will also provide Rs 2 lakh each to flood-affected schools and between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh to damaged Anganwadi centres for repairs and restoration.
Additionally, Rs 7.62 crore has been sanctioned from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to procure uniforms for students from pre-primary to Class VIII in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat and Jorhat districts.
Sarma also said insurance companies had agreed to appoint nodal officers in every flood-affected district, set up 24×7 helplines and dedicated helpdesks, and process claims with minimal documentation, including self-certification and video evidence.
Life insurance claims of flood victims, he added, would be settled on the basis of the government’s notified list of deceased persons without waiting for death certificates.
The APSC Assistant Engineer examination has also been postponed until further notice.
The Opposition, meanwhile, questioned both the Centre and the Assam government over disaster relief funding and its utilisation.
Citing official figures, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi claimed Assam received only Rs 205.31 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund against a demand of Rs 8,393.98 crore between 2019 and 2024.
He also alleged that Rs 1,112 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund and Rs 342 crore under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund remained unutilised, arguing that the failure to utilise available resources had ultimately affected flood-hit communities.
With inputs from agencies