GUWAHATI, July 20 ? The Assam Government today called upon the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to take prompt and effective steps for short, medium and long term measures for the solution of the problem of floods, which has become a ?life and death issue? for the people of Assam. An effective and permanent solution to the problem of flood has to be found out at national level with international cooperation, said the State Government. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister here today, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the Central Government should treat the State?s flood and erosion as a national priority and find a permanent solution within a specific time frame. Till a permanent solution is worked out, the Central Government should sanction funds as 100 per cent grant for taking up urgent repair of all the breached embankments, strengthening of the old embankments etc. A massive programme for de-siltation of the Brahmaputra, Barak and their tributaries should also be taken up by the Government of India, the memorandum said.
The memorandum gave a detailed account of the damages caused by floods and stated that the State would require an amount of Rs 3000 crore for restoration of the damages and called for an interim Central grant of Rs 1200 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund to enable the State Government to meet the post-flood requirement. It also laid stress on Central intervention for supply of certified paddy seeds and expressed confidence that additional Central assistance would be sanctioned to the State as hundred per cent grant. Calling for measures to revamp the Brahmaputra Board, the memorandum said that the Board should be immediately entrusted with the job of training the Brahmaputra and the Barak with adequate funds and manpower.
Meanwhile, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister, the AGP demanded declaration of floods as a national problem and said that an amount of Rs 2000 crore should be provided immediately so that relief operations can be continued for a period of six months. The AGP alleged that the State Government totally failed to tackle the situation and instead of preparing to face the situation, the Chief Minister and most of the Ministers the Chief Minister were busy with the downsizing of the Ministry. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions has demanded immediate relief to the flood victims of Assam and Bihar and adequate compensation for the loss of life, cattle and property. The Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urged for strong measures to find out a permanent solution to the problem of flood. It also called for river valley projects for the State in line with such projects of other States.