The Congress on Tuesday called the Rs 44-crore aid extended by the BJP-led government at the Centre to Sikkim too small an amount to mitigate the scale of devastation the state has faced.

The grand old party urged the Centre to step up aid to the northeastern state affected by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) so that it could compensate for the losses it incurred on account of the natural disaster.

It may be mentioned that the government approved the release of Rs 44.80 crore to Sikkim from its share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) last week.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress MP and Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, “The Central government should focus on the state of Sikkim in its hour of need. What we are facing in Sikkim is unprecedented. The damage, and loss in connectivity is unprecedented.”

Recounting the misery of the people of Sikkim, he said thousands have been displaced. Many died while many of those who survived the calamity are living in relief camps.

He pointed out that connectivity to the border areas has been lost which, he said, raises the concerns of strategic and border security. “The areas are inaccessible to the Indian Armed Forces. We cannot afford to remain immune from the vulnerability of any of our areas,” he added.

The Congress urged the Central government to send a senior Cabinet minister to review the situation. Gogoi said in such a situation, it would be better if the Union home minister could visit the state. Even the prime minister can take time off his busy poll campaign schedule to visit Sikkim for a firsthand account of the situation on the ground.

“The Union home minister doesn’t seem to have time to visit Sikkim. The prime minister, who is engaged in the election campaign, is content with a tweet. With this one post, he seems to have finished his duty. Both the prime minister and the home minister are conspicuously missing from the scene,” said the Congress leader.

Referring to the Manipur situation, he said, “Another northeastern state is facing a manmade disaster with ethnic violence going on unabated. The devastated people of the state are awaiting succour from the Centre, but the prime minister has yet to respond to their SoS.”

Hundreds have lost their lives while thousands have been forced to take refuge in relief camps ever since ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3. With no effort from the Centre to assuage frayed tempers the cauldron of violence is left to simmer to date.

Opposition parties blame the BJP-led Central Government for the situation in the state. Time and again they demanded the dismissal of incumbent Chief Minister N Biren Singh, but the government paid no heed to their demand.