Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren: One more battle has to be fought to save land  

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

 

Ranchi, Nov. 29: Chief Minister Hemant Soren today called up tribals to be ready for one more battle to save “jal-jungle-jameen.’

Soren said that the Government of India is enacting a new law in which the poor will have no say when it takes land for various projects.

“We are keeping a tab over it. As soon as there is any concrete result, we will start our fight. If there is no land left then Adivasis will also not be saved,” he maintained.

Addressing a public meeting at Kolebira in Sindega district during “Sarkar apke dwar programme’, he said our land will be saved only after we save our forest. “That is the reason our government has launched ‘Abua Vir Dishom’ scheme to give individual leases of land to forest dwellers,” he said.

He, on the occasion, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 1453 schemes costing Rs 155.78 crore, and distributed assets worth Rs 31.17 crore among 40321 beneficiaries.

Soren said that the forest dwellers will get a lease for about 1700 acres of land in Simdega during the next one-month campaign.

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Notably, the Central government is working on a proposal to change the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 under which several non-forestry activities, including defence and security-related projects along the country’s international border, zoos, forest training infrastructure, and surveys and investigations on forest land from the Act will be exempted.

Social security

The chief minister said that unless the government provides social security cover to its people, the state will not progress strongly. “Keeping this thought in mind, our government has implemented the Universal Pension Scheme,” he added.

“Under this scheme, pension of all the elderly, widows and disabled people will be provided,” he added.

Ration card holders to get pulses

The chief minister said that the ration cards of 11 lakh people here were earlier snatched away. “But our government has issued 20 lakh green ration cards and these are being purchased by purchasing grains at the market price. Now every ration card holder will be given one kg of pulses along with grains,” he added.

CM’s call to move forward

The chief minister said that the government has opened the way for people of every class and section to move forward.

“Along with government jobs, offer letters are being given to the youth on a large scale in the private sector also. There is a Mukhyamantri Self-Employment Creation Scheme for youth seeking self-employment. There are many schemes for farmers, cattle herders and labourers like Mukhyamantri Pashudhan Yojana, Birsa Harit Gram Yojana and Didi Bari Yojana,” he added.

He said, “Under the Sona Sobaran Dhoti Saree Scheme, clothes are being given to the poor twice a year. Phulo-Jhano Ashirwad Yojana is being run to connect the women selling liquor with respectable livelihood. There is Savitribai Phule Kishori Samriddhi Yojana for the education of girls. Under the Marang Gomke Overseas Scholarship Scheme, 100% scholarship is being given to tribal, Dalit, minority and backward-class students to study abroad.”

Primitive tribal families

The chief minister said that if we do not take precautions in time, the primitive tribes will reach the verge of extinction.

“Our government is making efforts towards empowering the primitive tribes. In this series, students of primitive tribes are given coaching to prepare for competitive examinations. I have full faith that these children will achieve their positions with their hard work and will bring glory to their families and tribes by becoming collectors and other big officials,” he added.