PM, Sonia make aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Assam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, on Monday to make an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state.

The three leaders made an aerial survey by a helicopter of Majuli island, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts, which were among the worst-affected in the floods, senior officials said. They were also expected to survey the Kaziranga National Park, which has been completely submerged by floodwaters.

Earlier, Dr Singh and Gandhi reached Jorhat's Rowriah airport from New Delhi by a special flight around 11:00 am.

Later in the day, the two leaders would reach Guwahati and discuss the latest situation with ministers and officials.

Dr Singh and Gandhi are scheduled to leave for New Delhi from Guwahati on Monday the afternoon.

The Assam floods have so far claimed 61 lives and another 16 persons have been killed in landslides.

The floods have affected all 27 districts of the state.

Though the United Liberation Front of Asom has registered a protest against the PM's visit, it has not called for a statewide band. 

The banned outfit stated that it was not going to call for a bandh to protest the PM's visit keeping in mind that it would compound the suffering and hardships faced by flood-affected people of the state. "Though we protest the visit of the PM of 'colonial Indian government' to Assam we have decided not to call for a bandh this time in view of the flood situation. However, the visit of the PM is nothing but a formality," the ULFA statement issued by the outfit's publicity wing leader Udoy Arun said.

Gogoi who returned from his visit to the United States, on Sunday held a high-level meeting with the senior bureaucrats of the state and the cabinet to review the flood relief and rescue operations.