Ranchi: Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) — the umbrella organisation of several civil society groups and activists – on Friday welcomed the mahagathbandhan government’s announcements made during its first anniversary celebrations on December 29 regarding eradicating hunger and pressing for a separate code for tribals, for example, howevere it also asked chief minister Hemant Soren to fulfill the promises he made when he came to power in December, 2019. “One of the biggest promises made by the CM on December 29, 2019 (when Hemant took oath) was that he would drop the cases against the Pathalgarhi activists. But more than a year has passed by and no action has been taken in this regard,” JJM member Aloka Kujur said.
She added, “As per information obtained through RTI, of the 30 cases, 16 have been recommended for withdrawal by the three district administrations where these cases were registered. However, these cases are pending before the state home department.”
JJM, however, appreciated the government’s acknowledgement of the “widespread widespread hunger and malnutrition in state”. Kujur said, “Many eligible citizens have not yet been included in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the CM’s recent announcement to include 15 lakh beneficiaries in it is a step in the right direction.” She added, “Even the decision for the universal extension of old age social security pension is also a positive step since at present, more than half of the senior citizens’ in Jharkhand are deprived of a social security pension.”
JJM also lauded the government’s decision to increase MGNREGA wages to Rs 225 from Rs 194 by utilising the state funds. It also drew the government’s attention to the “widespread corruption in NREGA which is facilitated by the nexus between government officials and contractors”. Elina Horo, another JJM member, said, “In Jharkhand, people have put up with red-tapism and systemic corruption for availing their daily benefits. The decision to implement the service guarantee act through ‘JharSewa’ and holding the officials concerned accountable is important. The system should be implemented through panchayat and block offices and not through pragya kendras or private agencies for the sake of transparency.”
While appreciating the decision to press for a separate code for tribals in the Census register, JJM asked the government to focus on implementation of the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act. “The land bank policy should be cancelled and land should be returned to the Adivasi-moolvasi raiyat (tribal and indigenous land owners) in projects where it was forcibly taken rom them,” Horo said.