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Guwahati flood: Opposition demands white paper on Smart City spending; Singhal’s removal

By The Assam Tribune - 8 Aug 2024 7:03 AM GMT

Guwahati, Aug 8:Taking a dig at the state government and municipal authorities’ inadequate response to mitigate the flood situation in Guwahati, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has demanded a white paper, questioning how they spent Rs. 802 crore in Guwahati in the name of smart city.

Furthermore, the APCC also demanded the dismissal of state Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal as he failed to address the issues of artificial flooding in the region.

The opposition party has also demanded compensation for the people who damaged their cars and other properties during the deluge on August 5 in the city.

While addressing a press meet, Congress media president Bedabarata Bora questioned why the basic problems of the people of Guwahati have not been solved even after eight years of spending Rs. 802 crore in the name of smart city.

Bora highlighted several projects, including Rs. 327.30 crore for beautifying the Brahmaputra banks, Rs. 260.77 crore for purchasing 200 electric buses, Rs. 78.44 crore in the name of the traffic management system, Rs. 14.32 crore for the development of Umananda temple, and Rs. 29 crore for purchasing 100 CNG buses, among others. Bora has demanded a detailed white paper on how the department spent these amounts in the name of 14 projects.

Additionally, Bora, along with Mahila Congress President Meera Borthakur, criticised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his council of ministers for failing to take the necessary steps to tackle the flood situation.

Borthakur further alleged that Minister Ashok Singhal violated all rules and regulations for building houses. She asserted that Singhal's ProTech Group had constructed a 17-storey building in a restricted area in Guwahati’s Tarun Nagar locality and also criticised the Assam CM for allowing it.

“Minister Ashok Singhal had no expertise in Guwahati development; the lack of coordination between the Public Works Department (PWD), municipal corporation, and public health department has led to confusion, leading to the digging and digging of drains in the city,” said Borthakur.

Meanwhile, Chief of Raijor Dol and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has also criticised Minister Ashok Singhal, claiming that the issue of flooding will keep happening under his leadership. He opined that Singhal is a mere businessman and that he is not suitable for the ministerial position.