THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Sept 10: BJP’s senior leader and former Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday sharply criticised the Hemant Soren-led government, accusing it of denying constitutional rights to tribals and backward classes by stalling the implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). He further alleged that foreign powers, middlemen and brokers were exerting influence over the state’s governance.
PESA Law ‘Kept Hanging’ Despite Clearance
Speaking at a press conference at the state BJP office, Das said the BJP government had taken concrete steps towards implementing PESA in Jharkhand, with departmental opinions sought, the matter referred to the Law Department, and the Advocate General’s clearance obtained for placing it before the Cabinet.
“Yet, due to the unclear intentions of this government, the rules have been kept hanging,” he alleged.
Das reminded that PESA empowers Gram Sabhas in scheduled areas to manage local resources, including minor minerals, sand, stone, ponds for fish farming, and forest produce like Kendu leaves. He said the High Court had also directed the government to honour the spirit of PESA in matters such as sand ghat auctions.
Welcoming the court’s stance, he urged that the ban on sand auctions remain in place until the Act is fully implemented in Jharkhand.
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‘Loot of Sand and Minerals’
Das alleged that the state government’s failure to implement PESA was deliberate, designed to benefit a nexus of middlemen and contractors.
“This government wants the middlemen to keep looting Jharkhand’s mineral wealth and filling the Chief Minister’s coffers,” he said.
He accused the government of setting a revenue target of ₹2,000 crore from sand mining in violation of court orders. “In the last six years, the state has witnessed the loot of thousands of crores,” he added, demanding a CBI investigation into the alleged scam.
Loss of Grants and Development Funds
The BJP leader highlighted that the delay in implementing PESA had cost Jharkhand an estimated ₹1,400 crore, while the failure to conduct municipal elections had deprived the state of nearly ₹1,800 crore in annual central grants.
“Neither the villages nor the cities are being allowed to develop,” Das said. “By withholding elections and blocking PESA, the government is pushing Jharkhand into financial and social loss.”
Backward Classes ‘Denied Rights’
Das also criticised the government for failing to complete the ‘triple test’ required for backward class reservations in municipal polls. He said the absence of backward class reservation in job rosters across several districts further reflected the state’s neglect.
“This government does not want to empower the backward classes,” Das remarked. “It is systematically denying them their constitutional share.”
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‘Foreign Influence in State Politics’
Making a sharper allegation, Das claimed that foreign powers, along with a network of brokers and religious middlemen, were influencing the functioning of the state government.
“This is not a government of the people but a syndicate being run under pressure from outsiders. It is deeply immersed in appeasement politics,” he said.
Das warned that if tribals, Dalits and backward classes were forced onto the streets in protest, the government would face “a heavy political price.”
BJP’s Demand
The former CM demanded that the Hemant government immediately conduct municipal elections and bring PESA rules to the Cabinet for approval and implementation.
State BJP media in-charge Shiv Pujan Pathak and spokesperson Ramakant Mahato were present during the press conference.
