JMM completes 2 years in power: Jharkhand CM says worked for uplift of state despite COVID-19

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said that despite COVID-19 in the last two years, the state government managed to work for the people and launched schemes such as Sarkar Aapke Dwar (government at your doorstep) programme, universal pension scheme, foreign scholarship and sports policy for giving employment to sportsmen of the state.

Speaking to ANI on the completion of two years of his government, Soren said, "If I speak about the achievement in two years, I will say the victory over the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, there was Corona, then Delta and other variants. It was a challenge for a backward state like Jharkhand but we succeeded in fighting the pandemic. We managed it very efficiently and peacefully. We are ready for the Omicron variant also. Even in the Covid period, we had some action plan which we introduced whenever we got a chance like 'Sarkar Aapke Dwar' (Government at your doorstep) programme, Universal Pension scheme, Foreign Scholarship, sports policy for giving employment to sportsmen of the state and many other schemes."

The Chief Minister further spoke about the vaccination team of Central Government. He said, "If the Central team is coming, let it come. Let them see the status of vaccination in the state. We have run nearly 250 mobile vaccination vehicles. The central government should also reveal in what manner the vaccines were supplied. If we exhaust all vaccines in just one day what will we do on another day? There were a lot of rumours regarding vaccination. In many villages, vaccination workers were even beaten up. But in some villages, there is not a single person who is not vaccinated. We have to persuade people, we have to make them aware. The central government probably does not have an idea how much difficulty we face due to our geographical terrain."

He further said that the youths from Naxal affected areas, who were far from the development initiative of the government, are being roped in by the government by introducing a scheme called Sports Action Towards Harnessing Aspiration of Youths (SAHAY). Under this plan, we bring them into the mainstream of development through sports.

Talking about the 'Sarkar Aapke Dwar' scheme, he said this is a scheme which was needed in the last 20 years. Government makes a lot of plans and schemes but people of rural areas do not get to know about them. That is why we have decided that whatever work the government does, it should reach the common people and they should get benefited from this. Today we can see that the work of the government has reached every block and panchayat and there is an atmosphere of happiness in the whole state. Every minister, District Council or MLA is busy working so that people can get benefit from the schemes.

He further said that social security is an important subject and responsibility of every government.

"People get to know about the sensitivity of the government through social security programs. Today we are running programs for everyone including migrant labourers, farmers, youth, women widows, senior citizens and differently-abled people. We have launched a universal pension scheme for all. Recently, we have also started programmes called "save migration" for people who go out of the state. We also passed the anti-mob lynching act passed in the Assembly this time.

When asked about the BJP's statement that the anti-mob lynching act is for the uplift of a certain section of people, the Chief Minister said, "Law is not for a person but for all. The constitution is not for a person but for all. If anything for one religion is written there in the law, then they should tell me. Central Government should have done this. First priority of the Centre should be to take care of every section of the society, to create a secure and safe environment in the country but their first priority is to think about the disharmony in the country and how to discriminate against people. Matters related to religion hurt everyone. Uttar Pradesh elections are coming and such an atmosphere is being created by the government. That is why anti-mob lynching bill is very necessary. When the Central Government is not doing anything, then the state government is free to take decisions to maintain peace in the state. For this, people should know if they commit any wrong they have to face the consequences. There is a saying everything is fair in love and war. Everything is going by this formula in Uttar Pradesh. But I think BJP's vehicle has stuck."

Further speaking on the three farm laws, Soren said, "Central government says something else, does something else and in reality, happens something else. There is a lot of difference between their sayings and action. The farm laws have been repealed but how many farmers lost their lives, no one discusses it. Why they are not getting the status of martyr and their family being compensated. The farmers who were on Delhi's border leaving behind their cultivation. Why no one is talking about their compensation."

In 2019, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) fought the election in alliance with Congress and Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) to win a comfortable majority with 47 seats in the 81-member house.

While the JMM won 30 seats, Congress and RJD secured 16 and one seat respectively in the recently concluded assembly polls.

(ANI)