Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 9 (ANI): Congress leader Ripun Bora on Sunday levelled serious allegations of “rampant corruption” against the Assam government, claiming that relief materials intended for flood victims are being looted while the state administration has “totally failed” in its rescue operations.
Speaking to ANI regarding the prevailing flood crisis, Bora said, “The government has done nothing, and there is rampant corruption. Many of the relief materials have been looted. Government relief is very, very nominal.”
Questioning the official death toll, Bora suggested that the scale of the tragedy is being underreported due to a lack of recovery efforts.
“So far, 99 people have died as per the official report. But the figure may be higher, and still, there are lots of dead bodies that have not been recovered till now. The government has totally failed in the rescue operation and in giving relief to the people,” the Congress leader asserted.
Taking a dig at the state leadership, he further claimed that during his visits to the submerged regions, he observed that the vast majority of aid was coming from private citizens.
“The Chief Minister himself declared that for seven days after the flood, the government had not been able to go there… I have also visited there. We have seen plenty of relief materials, from food to utensils or clothes, etc., all of which have been contributed by the people, by the public,” Bora remarked.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Assam’s ongoing floods has reached 99, with several districts reporting casualties as the flood situation continues to remain grim across the state.
According to the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS) Assam bulletin released on Saturday, the devastating floods have heavily impacted multiple regions, resulting in the loss of 58 males and 23 females, along with 18 children (12 males and 6 females).
Among the hardest-hit areas, Cachar district has recorded 22 deaths, while Sivasagar has reported 10 fatalities. Other severely affected districts include Karimganj (nine deaths) and Golaghat (seven deaths), along with casualties reported across Dhemaji, Nagaon, Udalguri, Sonitpur, and Karbi Anglong.
Rescue and relief operations remain underway in the affected areas as district administrations and revenue circles continue to monitor water levels and provide assistance to affected populations in the inundated regions. (ANI)
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