Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Communist Party of India-Marxist has scheduled a statewide Demand Day for August 21. Members want the central and Assam governments to label the state's recent floods a national disaster. They also want a full inquiry into the causes of the surge and a concrete plan to stop it from happening again.
Protests begin at 11 a.m. in Guwahati. The Kamrup (Metropolitan) district committee will gather outside Meghdoot Bhawan in Panbazar. The party issued a 10-point charter seeking higher relief payments. They want Rs 20 lakh for families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh in immediate aid for each household, and up to Rs 10 lakh for homes leveled by the water. They also seek Rs 5 lakh for homes with severe damage.
CPI(M) Assam State Committee secretary Suprakash Talukdar described the catastrophe. "Unprecedented flooding that struck Sivasagar and Charaideo from July 19 and subsequently affected Jorhat, Golaghat and other districts has left behind a trail of devastation from which thousands of families are yet to recover," Talukdar said. He demanded an expert committee investigate why the disaster turned so severe.
The party claims the government must look at illegal mining and environmental damage in Assam and Nagaland. They also want a review of how large dams in Bhutan and nearby states impact Assam. The CPI(M) wants all dam construction paused until an impact study is complete. They also requested six months of free food for victims and free paddy seedlings for farmers.
Additional demands include 200 days of guaranteed work, loan waivers for victims, and funds to repair schools and Anganwadi centers. They also want free uniforms, books, and cash for students, plus better healthcare and veterinary services to fight post-flood outbreaks. Party units across the state will submit these demands to local authorities following the protests.
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