Jairam Ramesh presses PM Modi for answers on Assam's critical issues

As Prime Minister Modi embarked on his election campaign in Assam, following which he headed to Agartala in Tripura, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh posed a few questions regarding the pressing issues that the region is facing:

1. On the Manipur crisis: Following the recent ethnic violence in Manipur, where over 200 people lost their lives and 60,000 were displaced, the prime minister's absence from the region has been conspicuous, says Ramesh.

Despite a dire situation described as akin to "civil war" and a "breakdown of Constitutional machinery", Modi has not visited or acknowledged the crisis, he said, restating a demand that the Congress and other opposition parties have been making for months.

"Now that he (PM Modi) is in the area, will he finally make a visit?" Ramesh asked in a post on X.

2. Promises to tea garden workers: Assam's tea garden workers continue to grapple with challenging conditions despite promises of support from the Modi government, claimed the senior Congress leader.

"In his 2016 Assembly Elections campaign, PM Modi had promised to increase tea garden workers’ daily wages to Rs 350. Yet, wages were increased to just Rs 250/day, that too in October 2023", Ramesh highlighted.

Furthermore, assurances of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the workers remain unfulfilled, he said. "At a time when the INC is promising Rs 400/day minimum wage to tea garden workers, what is the BJP’s vision for them?" he asked.

3. Flood mitigation in Assam: Despite assurances from BJP leaders, including Amit Shah, to make Assam "flood-free", the state continues to suffer annual floods, causing significant damage, with 40 per cent of the state experiencing a deluge for 3-4 days, says Ramesh.

He also highlighted that in 2022 alone, floods and landslides cost the state more than Rs 10,000 crore. The "Modi Sarkar" has not only failed to prevent floods, it has failed to compensate farmers for produce and property lost in the annual deluge, Ramesh stressed.