Seeking five years to make Assam flood-free, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the State government was working with the North Eastern Council (NEC) to solve the annual flood problem in Assam.
Mr. Shah is the chairperson of the Centre-funded council.
“We had promised an insurgency, agitation and flood-free Assam in our election manifesto. We have achieved the first two promises. Give us five more years and we will make the State flood-free,” he said at a rally of BJP workers after inaugurating the party’s biggest office in the northeast on Saturday
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He unveiled the six-storey party office worth ₹25 crore in Guwahati along with BJP’s national president J.P. Nadda.
The BJP-led government was installed in May 2021 for the second successive term. By seeking five more years, Mr. Shah hinted at the BJP eyeing another term in Assam.
“The Assam government and the NEC are preparing an ambitious project to solve the flood problem. We are confident that the project, once implemented, will make Assam’s perennial floods history,” he said, adding that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was committed to mitigating the State’s water-related woes.
Rejuvenation of wetlands
According to official data, Assam loses at least ₹200 crore annually due to floods. Among the State government’s plans to check floods is the rejuvenation of a network of wetlands.
Mr. Shah said the approach would help increase the holding capacity of the wetlands and make them storage reservoirs during the floods.
He also outlined the BJP’s achievements in Assam and the rest of the northeast over the past eight years under the Modi government. He claimed the BJP established peace and accelerated the pace of development.
“Before 2014, the youth in the region would roam about with guns. There used to be different kinds of agitations and bandhs, affecting development. Under Modiji’s leadership, we signed various accords and they helped establish peace,” he said.
“Rehabilitation for Brus”
The accords were signed with extremist outfits in Assam’s Bodoland and Karbi Anglong and in Tripura. Another agreement was signed with the Mizoram-displaced Brus for their rehabilitation in Tripura.
“Work to resolve inter-State boundary disputes has also progressed. Assam, once known for agitation, insurgency and bullets, is today known for employment, infrastructure and development. Modiji brought peace in entire northeast,” Mr. Shah said.
He also underscored Assam government’s efforts in stopping rhino poaching.
“The infiltrators had made the jungles of Kaziranga National Park their safe haven. They used to poach rhinos. Assam’s BJP government evicted them and cleared encroachment. The rhinos are moving about freely today,” he said.
The Home Minister further claimed the BJP government completely stopped cattle smuggling to Bangladesh.
“Cattle smuggling through Bodoland was rampant. As the Home Minister, I can stoutly say that no truck carrying the cattle goes outside the country. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government has also stopped arms and areca nut smuggling,” he said.
