 "Tribals, Dalits will be eligible for pension on reaching 50 years: CM Soren")
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Friday announced pension benefits for tribals and dalits when they reach 50 years of age.
Soren made the announcement while addressing a function held here to mark the completion of four years of the JMM-led government in the state.
"The government has decided to provide pension benefits to tribals and dalits when they turn 50. The death rate among them is high and they do not get jobs after 60 years of age. It will be specially beneficial to the endangered particularly vulnerable tribal groups in the state," he said.
Only 16 lakh people in the state had received pension benefits in 20 years since the formation of Jharkhand in 2000. The number of beneficiaries has increased under the JMM-led government and it now provides pension to 36 lakh people, the chief minister claimed.
"In the four years of our government, we have given pension benefits to 36 lakh people above 60 years of age. The benefit is given also to widows above 18 years of age and physically challenged persons," he said.
Asserting that the JMM-led UPA government in Jharkhand is working "relentlessly" for the welfare of the people, he said a large number of schemes were implemented in the state for the first time. The schemes include the state government's outreach programme 'Aapki Yojna, Aapki Sarkar, Aaapke Dwar' which are programmed to deliverthe benefits of government schemes to villagers at their doorsteps.
The chief minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 343 projects worth Rs 4,547 crore on the occasion.
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Taking a dig at the opposition BJP, Soren said that it has been creating hurdles in providing government jobs to youths in Jharkhand and the state government will work to provide employment to them.
When our government tried to make employment policy based on 1932 Khatiayan (land records), the opposition felt pain and conspired against it. They (opposition) whispered into the governor's ear and created trouble .... When others states do not have any problem in giving jobs to local people, why is there a problem in our state? he asked.
To ensure jobs to local youths, the government has made a rule of 75 per cent reservation for locals in private jobs, the chief minister said.
Hitting out at the opposition BJP, Soren said "The previous double engine government looted the state with both hands and made it poor. They (opposition) have nothing to do with farmers, women and poor".
The chief minister said that around 7,000 appointment letters for government jobs were distributed during the programme. Recruitments against 45,000 vacancies are also underway. Examinations for some have been conducted already and their results declared.
The Centre owes Rs 1.36 lakh crore to Jharkhand on account of coal mined in the state. But when we ask for the money, the Centre denies. It behaves in a step-motherly way with Jharkhand, he alleged.
Keeping up his attack on the Centre, Soren said it was requested to allocate additional eight lakhs houses for the poor in Jharkhand but it did not.
Then we decided to provide houses to the poor from the state exchequer and launched the Abua Awas Yojana. Initially, we planned for around eight lakh houses, but now it appears that the number may go much higher. However, the government is committed to provide houses to all even if it takes two or three years, Soren asserted.
Claiming that only eight lakh farmers were provided Kisan Credit Card (KCC) since the formation of Jharkhand, he said Our government has provided 20 lakh KCC to farmers in the past four years.
The chief minister said that the JMM-led government will launch more schemes for the people in its fifth year and lay transmission lines in the DVC command area in one and half years. "People of the state do not need the power produced by Damodar Valley Corporation," he added.