Assam BJP MPs seek 100-day wage advance for farmers under VB-GRAM; Amit Shah promises support
New Delhi, July 31
A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from Assam met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Parliament House on Friday to discuss the prevailing flood situation in the state and the ongoing relief operations.
During the meeting, the delegation apprised the Home Minister of the extensive damage caused by the floods and the challenges being faced by the people. The MPs specifically requested the Central Government to consider providing 100 days of wages in advance to affected farmers under the Viksit Bharat - Mission for Employment and Livelihoods Guarantee (Gramin) (VB-GRAM) law to help them cope with the crisis.
Home Minister Amit Shah assured the delegation of all possible assistance from the Central Government. He informed the MPs that he is in constant communication with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and is personally monitoring the flood relief operations to ensure timely aid.
The delegation included Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, along with MPs Dilip Saikia, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, and several other parliamentarians from the state.
Earlier, on July 30, the Government of Assam informed that the recent flood situation in the four districts was unprecedented.
It said districts such as Charaideo and Sivasagar had never been flood-prone. However, exceptionally high rainfall in Nagaland on July 19, 2026, including 181 per cent above-normal rainfall, with Mokokchung recording a 493 per cent departure from normal rainfall, Wokha 108 per cent and Mon 45 per cent, along with extremely heavy localised rainfall in Charaideo and Sivasagar, exacerbated inundation across the affected districts.
The state government also informed that rescue operations were carried out with the assistance of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), NDRF, Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) personnel and local volunteers. Relief, as per the prescribed guidelines, was also distributed to flood-affected residents of the four districts.
The death toll in the Assam floods rose to 80, with seven districts currently affected by floods, according to the latest data. The flood-affected districts are Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Biswanath, and Kamrup (Metro). As many as 21 Revenue Circles (RCs) and 551 villages have been affected by the floods, while 3,00,031 people have been impacted. The floodwaters have also affected 21,523.08 hectares of crop area across the affected districts.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Amit Shah ji saying he's personally monitoring is good, but we've heard such assurances before. The real test is whether the money reaches the poorest families in Sivasagar and Charaideo before the next wave of floods. Prompt action needed, not just promises.
It's heartbreaking to see 80 lives lost and over 3 lakh people affected. The fact that Charaideo and Sivasagar, which were never flood-prone, are now underwater shows how climate change is changing our geography. Need long-term infrastructure planning alongside relief.
Good to see the central government responding to Assam's needs. The coordination between NDRF, SDRF, and local volunteers is crucial. But 21,523 hectares of crop area destroyed is massive - we need a comprehensive rehabilitation package, not just wage advances.
As someone from Assam, I appreciate the MPs raising this. But we should also question why state government's flood preparedness seems reactive every year. The 493% above-normal rainfall in Mokokchung should have triggered earlier alerts. Prevention is better than cure!
The 100-day advance wage is a solid short-term measure. But these floods are getting worse every year - we need to invest in better drainage systems, embankments, and early warning systems. Political will is there, but execution on ground needs to improve significantly.
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