Page 2 - Jharkhand

Jharkhand 2024: A year of political thrills, twists, and stunning comebacks

The year 2024 in Jharkhand unfolded like a gripping political drama, a narrative filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and electrifying comebacks. The year began like a Bollywood thriller with Chief Minister Hemant Soren's mysterious disappearance from Delhi sparking widespread speculations. As the entire nation was watching the drama, Hemant, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, appeared in his official residence in Ranchi on January 30, having made a 1,250 km road journey, leaving everyone astounded by his sudden return. This was only the beginning of the year's political spectacle. Hemant was arrested shortly after resigning as chief minister on January 31 at Raj Bhavan. This prompted JMM to elect Champai Soren, a loyal aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, who earned the sobriquet 'Jharkhand's Tiger' for his contribution to the long fight for the creation of a separate state in the 1990s, as par

NIA conducts searches in Jharkhand's Giridih in CPI (Maoist)-related case

Houses and other premises of suspects and over-ground workers (OGWs) were extensively searched by NIA teams, which seized several mobile phones and SIM cards

Jharkhand hikes employees' dearness allowance by 3%: Check benefits

Central government and West Bengal announced similar steps before

From Maharashtra to Andhra, 2024 was the year of political comebacks

From the Lok Sabha elections to state assembly polls, various leaders staged striking returns in 2024, capturing the attention of both the public and political analysts

Jharkhand Congress to launch drive in January to strengthen organisation

Jharkhand Congress is set to launch a statewide campaign in the first week of January to take its mission and agenda to every household, a senior party official said on Saturday. During a meeting here, the party also decided to strengthen the organisation in the state and continue the agitation against the BJP for allegedly insulting the architect of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar. Addressing party workers, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, "We will release a calendar highlighting party activities." "On January 6 or 7, we will launch a campaign where party workers will visit every household to spread the party's mission and agenda," he added. He added that the purpose of the meeting was to express gratitude towards the party workers and voters who worked hard to bring the alliance government back to power. "The alliance performed well, even though the Congress had expected to win 28 seats in the assembly polls," Mir told reporters after the meeting. The Congress

Amit Shah applauds SSB, credits for securing borders, combating Naxalism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for its pivotal role in securing the country's borders with friendly nations such as Nepal and Bhutan, combating Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand, and curbing illegal activities. Addressing the 61st Raising Day celebrations of the SSB in Siliguri, Shah said, "The Sashastra Seema Bal has played a key role in securing our borders with friendly nations such as Nepal and Bhutan. Its alertness and presence have ensured a sense of security in the Siliguri Corridor and the Eastern region." Highlighting the SSB's role in tackling left-wing extremism, Shah noted, "The SSB has played an important role in ending the menace of Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand. Their proactive approach, in coordination with the CRPF and local police forces, has significantly weakened Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh, making the region Naxal-free after almost four decades." Shah commended the SSB for its unique initiatives to foster cultur

J'khand initiates process for legal action to realise coal dues from Centre

The Jharkhand government initiated the process for legal action to realise "Rs 1.36 lakh crore coal dues" from the Centre. The government issued a notification on Tuesday authorising Secretary, Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms to commence the legal procedure to realise the dues. The development came shortly after the state government announced in its first cabinet meeting last month that it would take legal action to get its dues. "Secretary, Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms is nominated as nodal officer to initiate immediate legal action to realise Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues from the Centre. "In case of obstacles in payments by subsidiaries of Coal India in lieu of washed coal royalty dues, common cause dues etc, steps should be taken to resolve this in consultation with the Advocate General," the notification said. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, too, had said after being sworn in last month that legal action would be initiated to realise the dues. Earlier, he had request

Tata Steel starts all-women shift at Jharkhand's Noamundi iron mine

The shift will comprise women employees for all the mining activities of the shift, including heavy earth-moving machinery

Will take Jharkhand forward by strengthening all sections of society: CM

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said his government would take the state forward by strengthening all sections of the society. Soren said his government made all efforts to empower women in the state. Jharkhand became the first state in the country, which has increased the monthly financial assistance to women to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,000 under 'Maiyan Samman Yojana', the CM claimed. Soren was speaking at a government function at Bhognadih in Sahibganj, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 331 projects worth around Rs 350 crore for Sahibganj and Pakur districts. He also distributed assets worth around Rs 187 crore among beneficiaries of various government schemes in the two districts. The CM said that the people of Jharkhand have again elected Abua Sarkar (our government)' and voted for the state's dignity, development of tribals, farmers, workers, women and protection of 'jal, jungle and jamin' (water, forest and land). The state's mineral resou

Jharkhand HC puts stay on law giving 75% quota in pvt sector jobs to locals

The Jharkhand High Court has put a stay on the implementation of a state law that guarantees 75 per cent reservation to locals for jobs with salaries up to Rs 40,000 a month in the private sector in the state. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roushan, heard a petition filed by a small-scale industries association challenging the provisions of the Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates in Private Sector Act, 2021 on Wednesday. As per the Act passed by the Jharkhand Assembly in 2021, every employer shall fill up 75 per cent of the total existing vacancies by local candidates with respect to such posts where the gross monthly salary or wages are not more than Rs 40,000. Jharkhand Small Scale Industries Association counsel AK Das submitted that the enactment has created a clear division between candidates from the state and aspirants from outside Jharkhand. Das claimed that the implementation of the Act is against the principles of

Adani seeks new lifeline for troubled power plant amid B'desh pay backlog

The Adani plant, which accounts for about a 10th of Bangladesh's power consumption, has already racked up as much as $790 million of dues as of the end of September

'Drunk' man threatens to assassinate PM Modi, nabbed by cops in Ajmer

A 37-year-old man was held from Ajmer in Rajasthan for allegedly sending a message to the Mumbai traffic police helpline threatening to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said on Monday. Jharkhand resident Mohammad Nadim Baig Mirza was held by a team of Worli police, the official added. "Our probe has found Mirza, who works as a turner in a private firm, was angry as its owner asked him to go home for coming to work after consuming alcohol. In anger, he sent the threat message against the PM to the Mumbai traffic police helpline on Saturday. A case was registered at the time with Worli police station," the official said. "He was tracked down with the help of technical support and arrested from Ajmer. He has been served a notice to remain present in court. Further probe is underway," the official added.

Jharkhand CM Soren, ministers take oath as members of Legislative Assembly

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday took oath as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on the first day of the four-day session of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua and Labour Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav were among the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet who also took oath as members of the assembly. The CM and the ministers were among 80 elected representatives who were administered the oath as MLAs by the assembly's pro-tem Speaker Stephen Marandi soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am. The House was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after the oath-taking ceremony. "All MLAs and ministers took oath today. We will move for next proceedings tomorrow," the CM later told reporters. The Speaker's election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, an assembly official said. Kishore said Nala MLA Rabindra Nath Mahato is likely to be elected as Speaker of the House unopposed as all members,

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, ministers take oath as Assembly members

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday took oath as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on the first day of the four-day session of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua and Labour Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav were among the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet who also took oath as members of the assembly. The CM and the ministers were administered the oath as MLAs by the assembly's pro-tem Speaker Stephen Marandi soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am. All 81 members of the House are scheduled to take oath as MLAs of the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday. Election of the Speaker, governor's address, presentation of the second supplementary budget and debate on the governor's speech are also scheduled during the session, an assembly official said. Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony here on November 28, while 11 MLAs took oath as state ministe

CM Soren distributes portfolios to ministers, keeps Home to himself

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday distributed portfolios among the new ministers, keeping Home (including prison), Cabinet Secretariat and several other departments to himself, according to a government notification. Radhakrishna Kishore, a Congress MLA, got finance while JMM's Chamra Linda was allotted the department of Schedule Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Minorities. RJD's Sanjay Prasad Yadav was given the Department of Labour, Employment and Training, while Irfan Ansari of the Congress got Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department. The chief minister also kept to himself the departments of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language, Road Construction, Building Construction, and those yet to be distributed to anyone. A total of 11 MLAs took oath as ministers in the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand on Thursday. Soren himself was sworn in as the CM on November 28.

Jharkhand Cabinet expansion: 11 MLAs from JMM, Cong, RJD become ministers

Eleven MLAs, including six from JMM, were sworn in as ministers in the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand on Thursday. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath to the ministers at Ashok Udyan of the Raj Bhavan here. The six JMM legislators, who took oath as ministers, are Sudivya Kumar, Deepak Birua, Ramdas Soren, Chamra Linda, Yogendra Prasad and Hafijul Hasan. Congress MLAs Deepika Pandey Singh, Shilpi Neha Tirkey, Irfan Ansari and Radhakrishna Kishore were sworn in as ministers, while RJD's Sanjay Prasad Yadav also found a berth. JMM leader Hemant Soren took oath as the chief minister on November 28. Six new faces have been inducted into the Hemant Soren government, while Deepika Pandey Singh, Irfan Ansari, Deepak Birua and Ramdas Soren have got ministerial positions for the second time and Hafizul Hasan for the third. The swearing-in ceremony began with Stephen Marandi taking oath as the pro-tem speaker of the assembly. Marandi, a senior JMM MLA, was appointed

J'khand CM takes note of 'stopping' potato-laden vehicles on Bengal borders

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday took cognizance on "stopping" of potato-laden vehicles to Jharkhand on Bengal borders, allegedly restricting the supply to the state, an official statement said. The CM directed chief secretary Alka Tiwari to deal with the matter with immediate effect, it said. The West Bengal government has allegedly put restriction on interstate supply of the tuber since Thursday in a bid to maintain the stock and keep the price of potato under control in its state, according to a potato traders' association in West Bengal. On the CM's direction, Tiwari spoke to West Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant over phone for disposal of the matter, according to the official statement. "Pant has assured that a committee will be formed soon to sort out the issue of potato supply," it said. The price of potato has shot up by Rs 5 a kg in Jharkhand's retail market in the past two days after neighbouring West Bengal reportedly restricted the supply of the tuber, according

Assam will send teams to Jharkhand to study 'two-three things': CM Himanta

In a tit-for-tat response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he would send two delegations to study a few things in Jharkhand, days after his counterpart Hemant Soren took a cabinet decision to despatch an all-party team to study the plight of tea tribes in the northeastern state. Sarma, however, did not specify the areas of concern for the Assam government for deciding to send inspection teams to Jharkhand. "In our cabinet on December 5, we will make some decisions regarding visiting some Jharkhand areas. We will also go and see two-three things there," he told reporters after a BJP meeting here on Saturday night when asked about the Jharkhand government's decision to send a team to Assam. Hours after JMM leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand on November 28, his government approved the formation of an all-party panel to study the plight of the "marginalised" tea tribes in Assam. "We will be happy if somebody looks after us because we

Potato price shoots up in Jharkhand as West Bengal 'restricts' supply

The price of potato has shot up by Rs 5 a kg in Jharkhand's retail market in the past two days after neighbouring West Bengal reportedly restricted the supply of the tuber, an official said on Saturday. In a bid to maintain the stock and keep the price of potato under control, the West Bengal government has allegedly put a restriction on interstate supply of the tuber, according to a potato traders' association in West Bengal. West Bengal meets 60 per cent of Jharkhand's potato demand round the year, while the rest of the demand is met by Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and local production. "Around 50-55 trucks, each containing 20-22 tonnne of potato, arrive in Jharkhand from West Bengal. We were informed that the trucks were stopped at Bengal check posts from Thursday, which fuelled the prices of potato in wholesale as well as retail markets from Friday in the state," Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Jamshedpur, secretary Abhishek Anand told PTI. He said

Cong to back Hemant Soren's cabinet expansion decision: Rajesh Thakur

While speaking to reporters, the Jharkhand CM assured Agniveers in the state that the JMM-led government would support the families of those who had lost their lives