THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, February 10: It was an all-out invocation to former chief minister Hemant Soren today in the foundation laying ceremony at Shivajee Maidan in Daltonganj for the underground pipeline irrigation scheme worth a little over Rs 456 crore.
Chief Minister Champai Soren graced the occasion. He was accompanied by Satyanand Bhokta and Mithilesh Thakur, along with his principal secretary, Vinay Choubey, and Irrigation Secretary Prashant Kumar.
The ceremony looked subdued but graceful and well-arranged by the administration.
Pro-government sloganeering
The crowd was there. There were cheers. There was pro-government sloganeering. Everything looked not novel but well-ordered.
One thing in the ceremony was loud and clear. It was the profuse invocation to Hemant Soren.
Champai Soren, in his 21-minute speech, took Hemant Soren’s name 12 times. He took it not as any passing reference, but he did it in all seriousness.
His minister Satyanand Bhokta alluded to Hemant Soren 6 times.
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One had expected Mithilesh Thakur to stay in this invocation. He outnumbered Bhokta by a few more counts for Hemant Soren.
Thakur’s speech lengthened more, forcing the principal secretary to CM Vinay Choubey to ask the lady compere to give a slip to Thakur to keep his speech short.
Thakur acknowledged this, keeping it short, but continued for another five minutes. Thakur becomes immovable before the mike, said his party men.
CM flays double engine govt
Champai Soren was loud and bold. He didn’t falter to words. He flayed the double engine ki sarkar and the BJP in one breath.
He assured people the underground pipeline irrigation scheme would tide over the water crisis. He praised the Guruji credit card scheme. He talked about pensions for 50 plus age people living in deprivation and poverty.
Campaign for Abua Awas
Hemant Soren’s arrest was painted as done by deceit and falsehood. There was a strong campaign for Abua Awas. Champai Soren hit the Modi government hard for withholding funds for 8 lakh people in line for PM Awas Yojana.
The foundation laying ceremony reverberated with what Hemant Soren did or had wanted to do.
Irrigation Secretary Prashant Kumar gave a meaningful speech. He referred to how this Rs 456 crore worth scheme got through without mentioning the name of the former chief minister Hemant Soren. Instead, he said, “The chief minister agreed to do it when briefed about its usefulness.”
The underground pipeline irrigation scheme was passed in the January 9 cabinet meeting chaired by Hemant Soren.
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