Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Members of the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva-Chatra Parishad, or AJYCP, staged a three-hour sit-in in Guwahati this Thursday. They want the federal government to fix Assam's chronic flood and river erosion crisis for good. Protesters claim these disasters act as a yearly wrecking ball to the state economy and public life. They are no longer just seasonal weather events.
The group demands the Centre formally label these floods a national problem. They insist the government release Rs 10,000 crore immediately to jumpstart the economy in Upper Assam. AJYCP leader Bijan Bayan called for a permanent fix during the demonstration. "Assam's flood and erosion problems need a permanent solution. The Centre must stop treating Assam as a stepchild. If Assam's resources are considered national resources, then Assam's problems must also be treated as national problems," Bayan said.
AJYCP officials want an additional Rs 10,000 crore set aside every year in the Union Budget for reconstruction. They issued a blunt warning to New Delhi. If the annual cash flow does not arrive, the group says the Centre should stop taking royalties from state entities like Oil India, ONGC, and Coal India. The activists also demanded that the state gain tighter control over its natural resources and minerals.
Floods and erosion continue to tear through homes, farms, and local infrastructure. The organization argues that only sustained central investment can stop the cycle of destruction. They want a long-term strategy to replace the current system of reactive aid.
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