THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Dec. 27: BJP State President and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi on Saturday launched a fresh attack on the Hemant Soren government, demanding that the cabinet resolution related to the PESA Rules be made public immediately.
Questioning the government’s intent, Marandi asked why the State was hesitant to place the resolution in the public domain. He said this reluctance itself raised doubts and suggested that “something is being hidden from the public.”
Marandi pointed out that while the government was publicly celebrating the passage of the PESA resolution and receiving praise, it was simultaneously avoiding disclosure of its actual contents. He said it was unfortunate that the very tribal communities whose traditions, customs, and governance systems are sought to be protected under the PESA Act remain unaware of what the resolution contains.
He added that neither the general public nor their elected representatives have been officially informed, and that people are currently dependent only on media reports for information about the resolution.
“The government must make the resolution public at the earliest so that the people are not misled,” Marandi said.
Demand for Party-Based Local Body Elections
Marandi also reiterated his demand that local body elections should be held on a party basis. He argued that party-based elections would allow committed party workers, who are already engaged in public service, to become elected representatives and serve people more effectively within the constitutional framework.
He said that non-party elections encourage muscle power and money power, which is harmful to a healthy democratic system.
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BJP Leaders Echo Demand
BJP State in-charge MP Dr Laxmikant Vajpayee, speaking about the meeting held today, said it was a purely organisational meeting in which party matters and upcoming programmes were discussed. He added that senior party leaders regularly hold such meetings to review policies and strategies.
Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda also criticised the government for not disclosing the PESA resolution even after its passage. Calling it unfortunate, Munda said that PESA Rules are rooted in customary traditions and governance systems of Scheduled Areas.
He said the Act is meant to protect and promote ancient systems of self-governance, and therefore, transparency was essential. Munda also demanded that the cabinet resolution be made public without delay.
