Assam flood: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in the national capital and briefed him about the flood situation in the state. Sarma said that Assam’s well-being remains the “top priority” for PM Modi. Prime Minister Modi assured Sarma of all possible help and assistance.
“I had the privilege of seeking blessings of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in Delhi. Assam's well-being remains the top priority for Hon'ble PM. I apprised him on our developmental journey and received his kind guidance on the way forward,” Sarma tweeted after the meeting.
The Prime Minister's Office also tweeted: “Assam CM Shri @himantabiswa called on PM @narendramodi”.
CM briefed PM on flood situation in Assam
During his meeting, the chief minister apprised PM Modi about the latest flood situation in Assam and the slew of measures taken by the state government to provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood-affected people. According to the official statement, the PM, while appreciating the steps taken by the CM to deal with the flood situation, assured to provide all possible help and assistance to the state government. Sarma also briefed the development initiatives taken by the state government.
Assam flood situation improves
The flood situation in Assam improved, however nearly 38,000 people were still under the impact of the deluge in four districts. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 37,700 people remain affected due to the floods in Barpeta, Kamrup, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts. Barpeta is the worst hit with over 28,000 affected people, followed by Lakhimpur (9,000) and Sonitpur (400).
The death toll remained at seven with no reports of fresh casualties due to the flood, ASDMA said. Currently, 253 villages remain submerged in floodwaters and 1,526.08 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across the state.
Sarma's meeting with Nirmala Sitharaman
Earlier in the day, the chief minister called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed with her about the financial-related matters of the state. Sarma presented an overall financial scenario highlighting the progress made by the state in various key indicators, including mobilisation of revenue, according to the release.
“I had the pleasure to call upon Hon Finance Minister Smt @nsitharaman Ji in New Delhi today. During our meeting, we conveyed our heartfelt appreciation for the ministry’s generous support in terms of capital assistance and the advance release of devolution funds. These initiatives have played a crucial role in accelerating our welfare programmes and capital expenditure," he said in a tweet.
Expressing his heartfelt appreciation to the Ministry of Finance for extending “generous support” to Assam in terms of capital assistance and the advance release of devolution funds, the chief minister said these initiatives have helped Assam accelerate the welfare-oriented programmes as well as capital expenditure, the release said.
(With PTI inputs)
