Guwahati, July 31 (IANS) Assam Congress President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Friday alleged that the state has received only a small fraction of the financial assistance it sought from the Centre for disaster management over the past five years and questioned the state’s utilisation of disaster relief funds amid the ongoing flood situation.
In a post on social media platform X, Gogoi said that Assam had sought Rs 8,393.98 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) between 2019 and 2024 but received only Rs 205.31 crore, which he said amounted to around 2.4 per cent of the total assistance requested.
The Jorhat MP also claimed that the state’s inability to effectively utilise available disaster relief funds had further weakened flood response efforts.
Referring to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) findings, Gogoi said that nearly Rs 1,112 crore lying under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) remained unspent as of March 31, 2025.
He also alleged that another Rs 342 crore available under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund had also not been utilised.
According to Gogoi, the Centre’s disaster assistance framework allows adjustment of up to 50 per cent of a state’s unspent SDRF balance against approved NDRF assistance before fresh funds are released.
“Every rupee left unutilised carries a cost. It is borne by vulnerable flood-affected communities at a time when they need help the most,” he said.
The Congress leader also expressed concern over delays in implementing a rehabilitation package for families displaced by riverbank erosion.
He added that the 15th Finance Commission had earmarked Rs 1,000 crore under the NDRF’s Recovery and Reconstruction window for the resettlement of erosion-affected families.
Citing a reply to a Lok Sabha query raised by him, Gogoi said the Union government told that Assam’s proposal seeking Rs 526 crore, approved in February 2025, had been examined by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and returned to the state government for revision.
He added that there was no public information on whether the proposal had been revised and resubmitted, or when the Centre would release the financial assistance.
Gogoi on Friday also visited flood-affected villages in the Mariani Assembly constituency, including Dhontula, where a breached embankment has inundated large areas.
He inspected restoration work, distributed relief materials and interacted with affected families in Hahsora Chetia Gaon and Panigaon, urging authorities to expedite relief, rehabilitation and long-term recovery measures.
–IANS
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