Jharkhand Cabinet clears ₹1,239 crore for medical colleges, sanitary napkins, public welfare projects
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA Ranchi, August 25: The Jharkhand Cabinet on Tuesday approved a series of public-centric projects, including more than ₹1,239 crore…
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, August 25: The Jharkhand Cabinet on Tuesday approved a series of public-centric projects, including more than ₹1,239 crore for upgrading medical colleges in Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, over ₹124 crore for free sanitary napkins for schoolgirls, and ₹721 crore to expand the Chief Minister’s Schools of Excellence programme.
The decisions were taken at a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The Cabinet also cleared funds for roads, water supply, girls’ residential schools, CCTV cameras at police stations, education initiatives and the beautification of Topchanchi Lake, among other projects.
₹771 Crore for Medical Colleges in Jamshedpur, Dhanbad
A major decision was the approval of ₹393.91 crore to strengthen and upgrade MGM Medical College, Jamshedpur, during 2026-27 to 2029-30.
The project aims to increase MBBS seats, introduce new postgraduate subjects and increase PG seats under Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored and State Schemes.
The Cabinet also approved ₹495.03 crore for strengthening and upgrading Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College, Dhanbad, with similar plans to expand MBBS and postgraduate education.
In a separate decision, the Cabinet approved ₹275.18 crore from the District Mineral Foundation Trust, Dhanbad, for the holistic augmentation and redevelopment of the SNMMCH College and Teaching Hospital.
Under the project, undergraduate seats are proposed to rise from 100 to 250, postgraduate seats to 200, and post-PG seats from 16 to 50, along with allied infrastructure and services.
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Free Sanitary Napkins for Girls in Classes 6-12
In a major school welfare decision, the Cabinet approved a new scheme costing ₹124.38 crore to provide up to 10 oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins free of cost every month to girls studying in Classes 6 to 12 in government schools across Jharkhand.
The expenditure has been approved for the 2026-27 financial year.
The move is aimed at addressing a basic need of adolescent girls in government schools and supporting their continued participation in education.
100 More Schools to Become Schools of Excellence
The Cabinet approved the development of 100 additional state schools into Chief Minister’s Schools of Excellence.
This will be in addition to the 80 schools already operating under the Adarsh Vidyalaya scheme. The government has sanctioned ₹721.43 crore for the expansion.
The Cabinet also approved ₹73.67 crore for bilingual parental calendars for primary school students and ₹27.87 crore for student diaries for Classes 6 to 8 under the Gyanoday Yojana for 2026-27 to 2028-29.
₹50 Crore for Girls’ Residential Schools
The government approved ₹49.99 crore for the establishment and construction of Jharkhand Balika Awasiya Vidyalayas, or girls’ residential schools, in five newly created blocks.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the guidelines of the Guruji Student Credit Card Scheme and the formulation of the Jharkhand Student Research and Innovation Policy, 2026.
Roads, Water Supply and Topchanchi Lake Get Push
Several infrastructure projects also received Cabinet approval.
These include road strengthening and reconstruction works in Chaibasa, Chatra, Manoharpur, Ramgarh and Giridih, involving projects worth several hundred crore rupees.
The Cabinet approved ₹67.36 crore for the Birsanagar-Bagunhatu Water Supply Scheme Phase II.
It also approved a ₹184.29-crore project for the beautification of Topchanchi Lake in Dhanbad and its surrounding areas through a public-private partnership under the DBFOT model.
9,006 CCTV Cameras for 606 Police Stations
The Cabinet gave revised administrative approval of ₹90 crore for installing 9,006 CCTV cameras across 606 police stations in Jharkhand during 2026-27.
The project is based on a revised Detailed Project Report and is linked to Supreme Court directions concerning CCTV surveillance in police establishments.
The Cabinet also approved the formulation of rules for contractual appointment of doctors and specialist doctors against vacant posts in government hospitals and health centres.
New Jobs and Livelihood Scheme Also Approved
The Cabinet approved the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee Mission for Employment and Livelihood (Rural): VB-G RAM JI scheme for implementation in Jharkhand.
It also approved 76 new contractual or outsourced positions for strengthening the Project Monitoring Unit under the Finance Department, against the surrender of 37 existing posts.
Overall, the Cabinet decisions cover healthcare, school education, adolescent welfare, roads, water supply, policing, employment and urban development, with several approvals aimed directly at improving public services and infrastructure across the state.
