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Assam MP refuses to pay for Bihar flood: Cong MP follows the suit

By editor |
Cutting across party barriers Congress, BJP and AGP had refused to respond to the Speaker's appeal unless the collected fund was divided between Assam and Bihar.

Congress MP from Assam Kirip Chaliha will not pay any money for flood relief in Bihar. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Monday, Chaliha said he is ready to urge both Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to issue an appeal to help Assam flood victims in the same line.

Chaliha said, “the Assam MPs are unhappy over the fact that Mr Chatterjee has issued an appeal only for Bihar when similar destruction has taken place in Assam also.”.

The MP from Guwahati made it clear that he would not respond to the appeal of the Speaker of donating Rs 25 lakh by each MP from the local area development fund for the flood victims in Bihar.

According to Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MP Arun Kumar Sarma, ''Assam is also under water like Bihar and I do not think my inner sense will respond to the Speaker's call that Rs 25 lakh from the MP local area development fund should be handed over to Bihar for relief and rehabilitation when there are so many things to be done in Assam,'' said whose constituency is the most flood prone of the region.

BJP MP Rajen Gohain said, he would also follow the suit adding, “'when my own house is under water why and how should we help others? The ruling Congress too has joined the growing chorus.

Meanwhile, AGP MP Sarbananda Sonowal had already wrote it to the Vice-President as well as the Lok Sabha Speaker on the same issue urging them to intervene on behalf of Assam.

Comments

Juri Gogoi's picture

Submitted by Juri Gogoi on Wed, 10/09/2008 - 15:54
I fully support the MPs of Assam and agree with the version given by Rajen Gohain that when my own house is under water and in the same condition; how can I even think for the neighbours. Top of that when there is a Bihar state Governement along with the state Assembly, MPs and local MLAs of Bihar and the Central Government to look after the state, why it is focused on specially only the Assam MPs. Will Lalu Prasad yadav will come and help the Assam flood victims? Yes, on humanity ground, we have no objection if somebody offers any help for the flood victim willingly, in fact we will appreciate.
YK Shrestha's picture

Submitted by YK Shrestha on Wed, 10/09/2008 - 18:46
Very true. I want to donate some money. How do we do that? Has the CM of Axom opened any account?
Neelakshi Barua's picture

Submitted by Neelakshi Barua on Wed, 10/09/2008 - 20:15
I have totally failed to understand the hue and cry over the floods in Bihar. While the flood victims have my total sympathy, after all who knows floods better than the axomiyas, I have never seen much noise being made about floods in Assam at any point of time in the past. If any donations have to be made it should be for the Assamese flood affected people first; then only can we turn our attention to other states. Moreover I do not see much reaction from the Centre about the state of the rhinos in Kaziranga affected by the floods. This, after being the only sanctuary where the one horned rhino is found in such abundance in the world.The MPs have every right to refuse to donate and I am glad that they have spoken up so openly about it. Hopefully the Centre will open their eyes and wake up to the situation in Assam. -- Neelakshi.
Indranee Dutta's picture

Submitted by Indranee Dutta on Thu, 11/09/2008 - 19:56
After a long slumber at last our own MPs have woken up for a cause. I hope they will keep waking till other serious problems of the state are addressed by the Center. Assam needs proactive sensitive, honest, thoughtful and bold leaders, which we are yet to see.
Saurav's picture

Submitted by Saurav on Mon, 15/09/2008 - 03:05
We, the people of Assam, are to blame for the poor state of affair in our state. We take it for granted that we have to live in the same state as we have been living in the past. Floods come every year yet we do not project this to the whole world. Our projection is not up to the mark. It is not only the "news" that matters, our CM should have been crying at the top of his voice. We are too proud to cry and for ages have been missing on the milk. It is good to see our ministers cutting across party lines to demand for a fair treatment to our flood victims. But it would be more effective if the same press conference is held at Delhi to make their presence felt. This issue has not found place in any of the national news.

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