Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday ordered an independent agency to probe alleged irregularities at the skill summits organised by the erstwhile Raghubar Das-led BJP government. A few lawmakers from the present dispensation had on earlier occasions accused the Das government of fudging data related to jobs being offered at the summits.
The previous government had claimed that 26,674 candidates were offered jobs at the 2018 skill summit. The following year, the Das government had said that 1,06,619 youths got placements through the Global Skill Summit. Jharkhand had even made it to the ‘Limca Book of Records’ for getting the highest number of placement offers in a single day.
Soren said in a statement that the focus of the probe would be to check if the summits benefited the people of the state and whether the claims made were true.
Poriyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav was vocal against the two summits in the Vidhan Sabha. Notably, he had demanded a probe by an independent agency.
JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharjee, too, had raised doubts over the skill summits and said that the events had put a strain on the exchequer.
A source in the CMO said, “There have been reports in the media that many who were shown getting jobs on paper did not receive the promised pay packages. Hence the government is thinking of getting all such summits properly audited and evaluated.” The source added that the government’s decision was also influenced by the recent spurt in protests by job-seekers across the state.
Meanwhile, state agriculture minister and Congress leader Badal Patralekh met with over half a dozen groups of job aspirants at the party office here on Wednesday. Delegations from candidates who have qualified the teachers eligibility test (TET) and aspiring homeguard jawans, among others, met the minister. Many of the groups had gone on an indefinite stir at Ranchi’s Morhabadi ground last month, but ended their protests before Durga Puja after getting an assurance from the Congress leadership. Talking to reporters, Badal said, “We are committed towards generating jobs and genuine demands of those awaiting appointments despite clearing the exams will be taken up. I am going to put their demands before the chief minister and the departments concerned to find out a way.”