Gogoi criticised the governments over what he described as a gap between policy commitments and the delivery of relief during disasters
KRC TIMES Assam Bureau
Guwahati | Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has questioned the utilisation of disaster management funds by the Centre and the Assam government, citing findings from a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.
In a post on X, Gogoi alleged that both the Union and Assam governments had failed to effectively utilise funds intended for disaster management and relief. “The Assam Government has repeatedly failed to use disaster funds effectively. The latest CAG report shows that this problem extends to the Union Government as well,” Gogoi said.
Citing the CAG findings, the Assam Congress MP claimed that the Centre sanctioned Rs 11,474 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) in 2024-25, but only Rs 5,356 crore was transferred to states, leaving Rs 6,118 crore unspent.
Gogoi further claimed that nearly 75 per cent of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund and more than 83 per cent of special assistance to states remained unutilised. He also referred to the CAG’s observations regarding significant amounts of disaster management funds remaining unspent in Assam as of March 2025.
Gogoi criticised the governments over what he described as a gap between policy commitments and the delivery of relief during disasters. “While the promise was ‘Maximum Governance, Minimum Government’, the reality is a double-engine government unable to ensure that disaster funds reach people when they need them most,” he said.
His remarks came as the flood situation in Assam showed signs of improvement, although thousands of people remained affected across several districts. The state’s flood-related death toll this year stood at 104, while 14 revenue circles and 170 villages across Golaghat, Sivasagar, Nagaon, Dhemaji and Jorhat remained affected.
More than 51,800 people were still affected by the floods, with Nagaon reporting the highest number at 32,132, followed by Jorhat with 7,426 and Sivasagar with 5,676. Around 3,628 hectares of cropland remained submerged, while 18,474 animals were reported affected.
Roads and other infrastructure have also suffered damage in several parts of the state, with authorities continuing to assess the extent of losses caused by the floods. Gogoi’s allegations come amid growing political debate in Assam over the adequacy, utilisation and distribution of disaster relief funds as the state works to recover from the latest wave of flooding.
