# CM delays flood aid to block rival's credit claim

> Assam's chief minister admits withholding disaster relief to prevent an opposition leader from taking political credit.
- Title: CM delays flood aid to block rival's credit claim · The Hindu
- Summary: Assam's chief minister admits withholding disaster relief to prevent an opposition leader from taking political credit. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa…
- Keywords: himanta biswa sarma, akhil gogoi, assam, flood relief, raijor dal, political dispute, news, politics, delays, flood, aid, block
- Source: The Hindu — https://thehindu.com/news/national/assam/financial-aid-to-flood-hit-people-delayed-as-i-wont-let-akhil-gogoi-take-credit-for-it-himanta/article71544764.ece
- Author: PTI
- Published: 2026-10-04T20:14:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: himanta biswa sarma, akhil gogoi, assam, flood relief, raijor dal, political dispute, news, politics
## CM admits delaying flood aid
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday, October 4, 2026, that financial assistance to flood-hit people in eastern districts was being delayed deliberately.
## Why the delay, according to Sarma
Sarma said he was withholding the money so that opposition MLA Akhil Gogoi, the Raijor Dal president, could not claim credit for releasing the aid to voters.
## Gogoi's protest and demands
Gogoi staged an indefinite sit-in on the State Assembly premises for three days seeking quick disbursement. He demanded minimum compensation of ten lakh rupees per flood-affected family in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat.
## Gogoi's timeline of the crisis
Gogoi said he began his protest on October 2, the seventy-sixth day after floods hit eastern districts. He said barring some families receiving fifteen thousand rupees each, no monetary relief had been extended.

> It was a catastrophic disaster and not an annual flood. The way the government dealt with it is unacceptable.
## Sarma's explanation of the delay
Sarma said he had shared compensation details with Gogoi seven days earlier by phone. He said Gogoi now wanted to take credit for the disbursement, so the government had to delay it.

> My mistake was sharing with him details about the compensation. He is indulging in politics over the matter, and so will I.
## Gogoi's counter-accusation
Gogoi accused Sarma of politicising the issue and trying to make light of a grave situation. He said his protest was meant to remind the government of people who lost everything.

> I started my protest to remind the government how they have forgotten the people who lost everything.
## Scale of the disaster
At least one hundred eight people died in the state's floods this year. Houses, schools, roads, embankments, cattle sheds, fisheries and health centres were damaged in the deluge.
## Gogoi's additional demands
Gogoi also demanded fifteen thousand rupees as one-time interim financial assistance to flood-hit people of the three districts, plus an additional ten thousand rupees to those in Sivasagar and Charaideo, and a CBI inquiry into…
## Key takeaway

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he is delaying financial aid to flood victims to stop opposition MLA Akhil Gogoi claiming credit for the disbursement.