Obstructionist stand stalling devp in Jharkhand: Speaker

Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Shashank Sekhar Bhokta today regretted that an obstructionist stand by certain sections had been stalling the state's development ever since the state was created 14 years ago.
"Not only the proposed construction of a building to house the state Assembly, but also any new work in the state faces obstruction as people come up with spades (anti-displacement agitations)," Bhokta told reporters here.
Expressing disappointment at the recent protests by a section of people at the allotted site here allowing not even a brick being laid, he said TMC MLA Bandhu Tirkey and AJSU Party MLA Naveen Jaiswal did not turn up for a meeting today on the matter.

Bandhu Tirkey has demanded return of 25 per cent of the acquired land (to the land owners), Bhokta said.
Tirkey in response said he could not attend the meeting as he was out of the state capital, but maintained that construction should begin only before addressing the demands of the land-owners.
"What package the government is giving to the land owners? Is it under the latest the Land Acquisition Act?" Tirkey demanded to know, wondering why land was allegedly being allotted for construction of other buildings by private parties.
"Naveen Jaiswal and I wrote a letter to the Speaker requesting an audience with him over the issue. But the speaker replied that it was not in his jurisdiction," Tirkey claimed.