Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren today urged Muslim religious leaders to choose a chairman for the Jharkhand Wakf Board and assured them that their demands would be fulfilled by February 15.
"You choose and give me the name for (appointing) the Chairman of Wakf Board," Soren said addressing Jharkhand State Momin Conference here.
Soren's offer came after Manjur Ahmed Ansari, the working president of All India Momin Conference, gave him a 10-point charter of demands, including nomination of chairman and members of Wakf Board.
"Some of the demands have already been fulfilled while others are in the pipeline. By February 15, I assure you all the demands will be fulfilled," the chief minister said.
The demands include implementation of recommendations made by Ranganath Mishra and Sachar committees, recruitment of Urdu teachers and release of grant-in-aid to 592 Madarsas.
Terming the ruling UPA alliance in Jharkhand as natural, Soren claimed his five-month-old government took up several developmental initiatives not done in the last 13 years.
Reaching out to the youth, the 35-year-old chief minister said 60 per cent of the voters were youth, who knew the changing political scenario in the country.
"Keep a watch on political situations. Don't get carried away by any wave," he told a gathering at Irba, about 15 km from Ranchi.
In his address, Congress leader and Finance Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh praised Soren for his developmental initiatives and promised full support to the chief minister.
"All the members in the Cabinet are solidly behind the chief minister. We are all adhering to his directives," Singh said, citing how they welcomed removal of sirens in their cars on Soren's directive.
MP and former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay urged Soren to settle housing problems of the residents of Islam Nagar and Naga Baba Khatal, which had been demolished during anti-encroachment drive about two years ago.
