GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday August 6 urged people not to collect money from the public in the name of flood relief and distribute aid under their own banners. He said those wishing to support flood-affected people should either use their own resources or channel their donations through the government.
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Addressing the media, Sarma said he had noticed people taking collection boxes onto the streets to raise funds for flood relief and expressed concern over the practice.
"There is no need to collect donations in the name of flood relief. I have seen people taking collection boxes onto the streets to collect money," the Chief Minister said.
He maintained that collecting money from others and distributing relief under a personal or organisational banner defeats the purpose of genuine humanitarian assistance.
"We should not distribute relief by collecting money from others. If we want to help, we should do so using our own money. If you collect money from me and then distribute relief under your own banner, that is not flood relief from my perspective," Sarma said.
The Chief Minister also directed the Assam Police to prevent any forcible collection of flood relief donations from the public.
"We have instructed the police to ensure that no flood relief donations are collected forcibly from shops, businesses, or ordinary citizens under any circumstances," he said.
Sarma further stated that the flood situation across Assam is now fully under the government's control, unlike the initial phase of the disaster when rescue and relief teams were unable to access several affected areas.
"The situation in the first seven days was different because the government could not reach many locations. Now, the government can reach every place, and the public can also approach the government directly," he said.
He added that citizens who still wish to contribute towards relief efforts should coordinate with the government instead of conducting independent public fundraising drives.
The Chief Minister also announced that the state government will begin the final assessment of flood-related damages and start the compensation process from Friday.
"From the government's side, we will complete the final assessment and begin the compensation process starting tomorrow," Sarma said.
According to the Chief Minister, with relief operations now stabilised and government agencies able to access all affected regions, there is no longer a need for public donation drives through private collection campaigns.