Guwahati: Nearly 43,000 flood-hit families in Sivasagar have received the state govt’s Rs 15,000 interim assistance.Assam minister Pijush Hazarika on Thursday reviewed post-flood rehabilitation in the upper Assam district and directed officials to expedite payments to all eligible families. Several thousand families are still awaiting assistance.Sivasagar had Assam’s largest flood-affected population as of Wednesday night, with 57,243 people affected. At the peak of the floods in July, the figure approached four lakh.Acting on chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s directions, Hazarika chaired a review meeting at the Sivasagar deputy commissioner’s office. Ministers Bimal Borah and Sushanta Borgohain and Nazira MLA Mayur Borgohain attended.Officials reviewed rehabilitation assistance, damage assessment and dewatering operations in Sivasagar town. Hazarika, who holds the agriculture, irrigation and parliamentary affairs portfolios, asked the administration to accelerate rehabilitation and improve interdepartmental coordination.The Sivasagar deputy commissioner told the meeting that around 43,000 families received interim assistance. Hazarika directed officials to ensure the remaining eligible families received aid promptly and no deserving beneficiary was excluded.“In coordination with the district administration, immediate steps have also been initiated to mobilise resources for the construction of temporary shelters for families whose houses were completely washed away in the floods, ensuring that they receive timely support during the rehabilitation process,” read the govt release.Hazarika has been camping in Sivasagar for seven days to monitor relief and rehabilitation work in Sivasagar and Charaideo. He has focused particularly on flood-ravaged Nazira, visiting affected areas, reviewing relief operations and meeting displaced families.
