Jharkhand will celebrate 12th foundation day on November 15 with much fanfare.
But since the constitution of the new state, no singular party gotmajority in the elections to form government alone and hence the state witnessed eight coalition governments with alliance.
The first NDA-led government was established on November15, 2000 in Jharkhand with Babulal Marandi (BJP) as chief minister. Political analysts considered that major percentage of people had felt a ray of hope with induction of Marandi as Jharkhand’s first chief minister..
The analysts said that although Marandi’s regime was short-lived but he had started execution of a number of developmental schemes with the financial aids from the Centre, the most visible being, improvements of the road network in the state.
However, Marandi’s tenure proved rather short-lived, following pressure from coalition allies, particularly JD (U). Marandi tendered his resignation to make way for Arjun Munda (BJP) for the post of chief minister in 2003.
Arjun Munda headed the government at intervals for a maximum period from March 2003 to February 2005 and again from April 2005 to September 2006. He still continues as chief minister from September, 2010, after becoming the leader of alliance parties in the state Assembly.
Madh Koda (Independent) and Shibu Soren (JMM) had also been chief ministers of the state but they failed to deliver the goods towards the state’s development. Rather, both had been more busy in clearing their criminal cases of corruption.
Jharkhand received maximum financial support in the centrally sponsored development schemes during Munda’s tenure as chief minister.
However, Auditor General of India (CAG) in a report in March, 2010, presented a dismal performance of the state government towards implementation of a number of developmental schemes sponsored by the government of India.
The CAG’s report disclosed that scheme funds of the Central government were unutilized ranging between 5 and 67 per cent during 2005-10.
Under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) against a target of 1,957 rural roads to be constructed for providing connectivity to 5,427 targeted habitations during 2005-10, only 164 roads were completed to provide connectivity to 496 habitations.
Union home minister P Chidambaram during his recent visit to Jharkhand had expressed displeasure for tardy progress in implementation of programs under the Integrated Action Plan in the Maoist-hit 14 districts of the state.
The home minister held a review meeting with the chief minister, secretaries of the departments and senior police officers in the state secretariat on steps taken by the state government in tackling Maoist problem in Jharkhand. He said that under Integrated Action Plan ,
Centre was providing Rs 55 crore for each district of Jharkhand and in the first six months from April to September, the state government had been able to achieve physical target by just 50 per cent.
The CAG also said in his report, “ The per capita development expenditure and per capita social sector expenditure in Jharkhand is much lower than the national average.”
On industrial front, maximum number memorandum of understanding (MoU)had been signed during tenures of chief minister Arjun Munda.
According to figures available from the state’s industry department, Jharkhand had signed 71 MoUs with private companies for investment of over 2,95,858 crore till August, 2009 to set up industrial projects.
During the past ten years, only 12-odd small projects have taken off and the rest could not even start ground work for want of land, water, iron ore and coal for which the state government had promised to ensure this.
Recently Arjun Munda government is facing a tumultuous time as the opposition parties have been focusing on the failure of the government in several fronts, like rural development projects, healthcare, employment, industrialization etc.
However, sources in the ruling parties denied the allegations of the opposition and claimed that the panchayat elections which had been pending for over two decades was performed by the present chief minister Arjun Munda.
The National Games was also held in Ranchi during present chief minister’s tenure, they added.
