Guwahati: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi issued a fiery ultimatum on August 22. He promised to perform a Tandav Nritya on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's table if flood victims in his constituency do not get their full relief payments. He doubled down on the threat, stating, "I will do Tandav Nritya on Himanta's table if all the people do not receive the one-time relief and the full amount."
Gogoi claims roughly 80 per cent of his constituency suffered under the recent floods. Many lost homes and belongings. He says the district administration is dragging its feet on distribution. During an interaction with Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner Mridul Jadav, Gogoi alleged that while officials identified over one lakh victims, Jadav admitted that more than two lakh people actually lost property.
The MLA pointed to massive discrepancies in beneficiary lists. He slammed the government for forcing elected representatives to hunt for duplicate names instead of doing the job themselves. The state promised Rs 15,000 in one-time assistance, but Gogoi says the cash is not flowing. He also pushed for Rs 10 lakh in compensation for families who lost everything. If the government fails to pay up, he plans to quit as MLA.
Silt still fills victims' homes. Gogoi invited the IAS officers association to Sivasagar to see the wreckage. He criticized the Centre for ignoring the scale of the disaster, arguing that the true impact only came to light after he raised the issue in the Assam Assembly. He remains unmoved by counter-protests from BJP workers and local administrative staff.
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