'Man-Made Floods': Congress Targets Assam Government, Seeks Top Court Investigation

A fresh political confrontation has erupted in Assam over the handling of flood relief, with the state Congress accusing the BJP-led government of failing to effectively utilise central assistance and demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into what it described as "man-made floods."

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, former Assam minister Nilamoni Sen Deka alleged that although the Centre had released funds under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the state government could not fully utilise the money because adequate budgetary provisions were not made in the Assembly.

According to Deka, the government should introduce legislation declaring floods a "State Problem", allowing emergency expenditure directly from state revenue without waiting for additional budgetary approvals. He argued that such a move would ensure faster relief during disasters.

The Congress also questioned the allocation of central flood assistance, claiming Assam received Rs 379.35 crore, while Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra were granted Rs 500 crore each, despite allegedly facing a lower flood burden. The criticism comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the advance release of Rs 2,117.85 crore from the Centre's share of the SDRF for flood-affected states during the southwest monsoon.

Further intensifying its attack, Assam Congress media department chairman Bedabrat Bora alleged that illegal open-cast coal mining and organised syndicates operating along the state's borders with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh had worsened the flood situation. He claimed abandoned mining pits overflow during heavy rains, leading to flash floods in parts of Upper Assam.

Bora also alleged that 40 to 60 illegal coal-laden trucks enter Assam daily from Nagaland and claimed that an extensive extortion network worth nearly Rs 3,000 crore was operating. He further alleged that despite directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the High Court in 2022, no dedicated task force had been constituted to curb illegal mining. The Congress announced that it would move the courts by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and a contempt petition.

The opposition party has also submitted a 24-point charter of demands to the Governor and the Chief Minister, seeking financial assistance for farmers, compensation for business losses, waiver of GST on rebuilding materials and free food supplies for flood-affected families.

Meanwhile, Assam's flood situation showed signs of improvement on Sunday. According to official figures, the number of affected people declined to 1.78 lakh, while the death toll remained at 82, with no fresh fatalities reported during the previous 24 hours.