Guwahati: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has questioned the Centre and Assam government over the utilisation of disaster management funds, citing figures from a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.
In a post on X on August 16, Gogoi alleged that Assam has repeatedly struggled to utilise funds meant for disaster response and claimed that the CAG’s latest findings indicate similar concerns at the national level.
According to figures cited by the Congress leader, the Union government approved Rs 11,474 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) during 2024-25. However, only Rs 5,356 crore was released to states, leaving Rs 6,118 crore unused.
Gogoi also claimed that about 75 per cent of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund and more than 83 per cent of special assistance allocated to states remained unutilised.
He linked these figures to the CAG’s observations that a substantial portion of disaster-related funds in Assam had not been utilised as of March 2025.
The Congress MP questioned why funds intended for disaster relief and mitigation were not reaching affected communities in time, particularly when Assam is dealing with recurring floods.
Taking a swipe at the Centre and the state government, Gogoi contrasted the situation with the government’s “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government” slogan and argued that the so-called “double-engine government” had failed to ensure timely use of disaster funds.
His remarks come as Assam continues to manage the impact of this year’s floods, which have affected multiple districts and claimed more than 100 lives.