Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren assures redressal of grievances in a month's time

Amid a political crisis in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has met and assured representatives from various organisations of redressing their "grievances" in a month's time.

Soren, who could be disqualified as an MLA in an office-of-profit case, met teachers, health workers, policemen and students at his office here on Monday.

"A large number of representatives from various organisations met the CM at his residence with their demands, including regularisation and pending salary.

"The CM assured them that their demands will be looked into and redressed in a month's time," an official said.

The state cabinet recently approved the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the old pension scheme, which was discontinued on April 1, 2004 and replaced with the National Pension System (NPS).

The government also restored compensatory leaves for the police force, benefitting lakhs of personnel, the official said.

Meanwhile, Governor Ramesh Bais, who returned to Ranchi on September 8 after a week-long stay in Delhi, has maintained silence over Election Commission of India's recommendation on Soren.

Bais, a day before leaving for the national capital on September 2, had assured ruling UPA MLAs of clearing the air over the EC's recommendation on a petition seeking Soren's disqualification from the assembly in an office-of-profit case.

The EC had sent its recommendation to the governor on August 25, sparking a political crisis in the state.