SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 16: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren of halting old age pension payments to fund his Maiyaan Samman Yojana. Speaking at public rallies in Jamtara and Dhanbad for BJP candidates Sita Soren and Raj Sinha respectively, Sarma alleged that Soren had redirected pension funds to his “pet scheme.”
He said that Soren’s policies have led to family disputes by taking pensions from elderly parents and redirecting the money to daughters-in-law under the Maiya Samman Yojana.
Sarma assured the public that a BJP government would restore the old-age pension and increase it to ₹2,500 while providing ₹2,100 to women under the Gogo Didi scheme.
“I promise soon after returning to power BJP will give Rs 2500 old age pension and Rs 2100 to women under Gogo Didi scheme”, he said.
Allegations of favoritism toward infiltrators
Sarma emphasized that the assembly elections in Jharkhand are crucial for safeguarding the state’s “Roti, Beti, and Mati” (livelihood, daughters, and land) from infiltrators. He accused the Congress and JMM of supporting infiltrators for electoral gains.
“Congress and JMM are sympathizers of infiltrators as they consider them their vote bank. This is why no action is taken against those robbing Jharkhand’s Roti, Beti, and Mati,” Sarma said, urging voters to choose BJP for a better future.
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Broken promises by Hemant Soren
The Assam CM criticized Soren for failing to fulfil promises made during the last elections. He highlighted unkept commitments such as providing jobs to 5 lakh youth and offering gold coins during daughters’ marriages.
“All those gold coins were allegedly consumed by Alamgir Alam. The ₹35 crore recovered from his residence belonged to the people of Jharkhand,” Sarma alleged.
He further criticized the state’s recruitment drive, claiming that poor planning led to the deaths of 20 young aspirants who suffered due to intense heat during July and August.
“He (Hemant Soren) made the youth run for jobs but failed to deliver. Twenty young people from the state lost their lives during the recruitment process, which was irresponsibly conducted in the scorching heat of July and August. It should have been organized in the cooler months of December or January”, said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“He (Hemant Soren) promised ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 per month until jobs were provided, but forgot it after coming to power,” Sarma said, stressing BJP’s commitment to addressing these issues.
Targeting Congress leaders Irfan Ansari and Alamgir Alam
Sarma also held Congress leaders Irfan Ansari and Alamgir Alam accountable for enabling infiltration. “To save Jharkhand, both leaders should be sent to Ganga Maiya for servicing,” he remarked, urging voters to reject leaders who compromise the state’s security and resources.