Page 16 - Hemant Soren

Soren becomes first J'khand CM to visit former Maoist hotbed 'Budha Pahad'

Hemant Soren on Friday became the first Jharkhand chief minister to visit the Budha Pahad' once a Maoist hotbed that was freed from the red rebels' control by security forces after over three decades situated near the border with Chhattisgarh, officials said. Soren arrived at the hilltop a little after noon, where the CRPF has now set up a camp, they said. He is expected to launch a slew of welfare schemes in Budha Pahad', located around 150 km from state capital Ranchi, along the Latehar and Garhwa districts. Security forces managed to free the area from the grip of Maoists through three special operations that were launched since the beginning of April 2022. A total of 14 Maoists were killed, while 590 others were either apprehended or had surrendered during these operations, the officials said. Earlier attempts to drive out the red rebels from Budha Pahad' did not materialise due to its difficult terrain, they added.

Soren accuses BJP of 'exploiting' people, promises to revive mica industry

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday accused the BJP of 'exploiting' the people of the state and promised them to expedite development schemes including revival of the mica industry

Tribals to hold fast on Jan 30 for Parasnath hills movement in Jharkhand

Tribals will observe a day's fast on January 30 at Ulihatu in Khunti district, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda, in solidarity with their movement to save the Parasnath hills, a member of a joint forum of Adiva bodies said. A large number of tribals on Tuesday assembled near the Parasnath hills in Giridih district, urging the state government and the Centre to free their holy site from the clutches of the Jain community. They also warned of severe agitation if their demand was not met. Hundreds of tribals from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha demonstrated in the hill area, carrying traditional weapons and beating drums. "Marang Buru' (Parasnath) is the birthright of Jharkhand's tribals, and no power in the world can deprive them of this right," a member of the Jharkhand Bachao Morcha', which claims to be an outfit of over 50 bodies, asserted on Tuesday. Tribals will observe a day's fast on January 30 at Ulihatu in Khunti, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda, in ...

Lawyers meet Jharkhand CM over court fee hike; Soren promises review

A section of lawyers met Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday over the court fee hike, as the JMM leader assured them of a review. As many as 500 advocates were present at the residence of the chief minister where he assured them that his government will review the provisions of the Advocates Protection Act and do a comparative study with other states. The state government had last year hiked court fees by passing the Court Fees Amendment Bill in the assembly. Soren said the increase in court fees was not directly concerned with the welfare of lawyers but still, the government will look into the matter and review the amendments. The delegation was led by Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan, and he was accompanied by Jharkhand State Bar Council members Manoj Singh, Ram Subhag Singh, Anil Tiwary and Rinku Bhakat, among others. Council chairman Rajendra Krishna and other members stayed away from the meeting. Bhakat told PTI that they interacted with the CM and he promised ...

J'khand must check infiltrators who grab land by marrying tribal women: HM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Hemant Soren government must check infiltrators, out to grab land in Jharkhand, by marrying tribal women. Accusing Soren of "destroying Jharkhand", Shah claimed that the JMM dispensation has indulged in "looting" mineral resources and "betrayed" tribals in the name of 'khatiyan'. The Hemant Soren government, which has also accused the BJP of "plundering" the state's wealth, wants to prepare a list of original residents of the state based on the 1932 land records which would implicitly identify a large number of non-tribals as later migrants. "The Hemant Soren government must check infiltrators, out to grab land, by marrying tribal women," Shah said while addressing 'Vijay Sankalp Maha-rally' in West Singhbhum district's Chaibasa, around 150-km away from the state's capital Ranchi. The programme is being viewed as the beginning of the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Claiming that corruption has peaked under the JMM-led .

New forest rules: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren protests but is he serious?

Bhupesh Baghel, chief minister of another tribal-dominated state Chhattisgarh, has also written to the PM about the same

Cong rejigs Jharkhand unit, appoints 11 V-Ps, 35 gen secys and 82 secys

In a major revamp of its Jharkhand unit, the Congress on Saturday appointed a political affairs committee, 11 vice presidents, 35 general secretaries, 82 secretaries and a new working committee in the state. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed the 26-member political affairs committee with AICC in-charge Avinash Pande, state unit chief Rajesh Thakur, Congress Legislature Party leader Alamgir Alam, former chief minister Madhu Koda, Rameshwar Oraon and Ajoy Kumar among those named in the panel. The Congress also appointed 11 vice presidents, 35 general secretaries, 82 secretaries and a new working committee in the state. Alam, Oraon, Kumar, coordinator attached with Congress president's office Pranav Jha and Gourav Vallabh were among those appointed in the working committee. The Congress is part of the alliance government headed by Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

'New Forest Conservation Rules will uproot rights of indigenous people'

Soren requested him to re-evaluate and re-examine the Forest Conservation Rules, 2022

Jharkhand CM announces drought relief of Rs 3,500 each for affected farmers

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday announced an initial drought relief of Rs 3,500 each for 30 lakh affected farmers in the state. The state government on October 29 declared 226 of the 260 blocks in the state as drought affected. "This will be an initial relief. They will be getting more as our government has demanded a drought relief package from the Centre," he said, while addressing a public meeting in Lukaiyatand area in Ramgarh district. "Soon, camps will be organised at the village and panchayat levels to distribute the initial relief amount to the affected farmers," he said. The CM visited his native Nemra village on Sunday to pay homage to his grandfather Sobaran Manjhi on his 65th death anniversary. Recalling his childhood in Nemra, Soren said the village was backward and its residents very poor. "There was no pucca road. All of us including me had to walk to our homes. But now the scenario of not only the village but also of the entire state has changed. A

J'khand govt demands Rs 9,682-cr package for drought-hit blocks from Centre

The Jharkhand government demanded a financial package of Rs 9,682 crore from the Centre for drought-hit blocks in the state, a minister said on Saturday. The JMM-led government had on October 29 declared 226 of the 260 blocks of the state as drought-affected and decided to provide a cash relief of Rs 3,500 to each affected farmer family under the chief minister's drought relief scheme. The state government has submitted the memorandum of finance to the Centre for assistance. We have demanded a package of Rs 9,682 crore, state Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh said during a review meeting with deputy commissioners and his department's officers of all districts through a video conference. The Centre will review the state's proposal and send a team to Jharkhand to assess the situation, an official said. The minister also stated that the compulsory requirement of a land possession certificate to avail of benefits of the drought relief scheme will be removed. "Every farmer whose nam

The people of Jharkhand have made a mark for themselves: CM Hemant Soren

CM Soren added that the state is all set to welcome people from across the nation and one must visit Jharkhand to explore its natural resources, beauty and charm

The people of Jharkhand have made a mark for themselves: CM Hemant Soren

CM Soren added that the state is all set to welcome people from across the nation and one must visit Jharkhand to explore its natural resources, beauty and charm

Meritocracy & reservations

Has merit become a bad word in India? For India's exceptional human resources to remain in the country, it needs to phase out all caste, community, and income-based reservations

ED demystifies code word in illegal mining, extortion case in Jharkhand

For instance, the officers involved in the scam used the code word 'Kilo' for a lakh rupees while transferring the amount to each other

BJP takes to street to protest against Hemant Soren govt in Jharkhand

Jharkhand BJP kicked off its state-wide 'Akrosh' rally from Ranchi on Monday against the Hemant Soren led UPA government in the state. Hundreds of BJP workers congregated at the city's Morabadi ground and later they marched towards the district collectorate raising slogans 'Hemant Hatao, Jharkhand Bachao.' The agitation was led by BJP state president Deepak Prakash. He was accompanied by Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth, MLA CP Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu, Hatia MLA Navin Jaiswal and Ranchi deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijayvargiya. Addressing party workers, Prakash said, "The Hemant Soren led ruling coalition -- JMM, Congress and RJDis a team of 'Ali Baba Chalis Chor.' The corruption is at its peak under Soren's regime. Mines and minerals including sand, stone, coal and iron are being looted." He said, "The current government is anti-women, tribal and dalit. Crime against women has increased manifold in the state in past 34 months. The unemployment is at its peak." The BJP's Akrosh rally, whi

ED grills Jharkhand CM Soren for over nine hours in 'illegal' mining case

According to sources, a team of three ED officials asked him about 100 questions on Thursday, and the Chief Minister can be again called for further questioning.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren questions ED's claim in illegal mining case

Soren wrote a letter to Enforcement Directorate assistant director Deovrat Jha and said it was impossible to evade royalty of Rs 1,000 crore in two years in Sahibganj

Mining lease case: Allegation against me baseless, says Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday said allegations leveled against him in a mining lease case was baseless as he left for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Ranchi, where he is set to face questioning in connection with the matter. Addressing media persons, the CM claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy by the opposition. "The agency should level allegations only after a detailed investigation into the matter," he said. The ED summoned Soren at its regional office here for interrogation in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state. The agency has said it has "identified" proceeds of crime relating to illegal mining in the state to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore till now. Soren, talking to reporters, said, "If we calculate the yearly revenue from mines and minerals, it would not touch Rs 1000 crore. I am going to ED office and want to see how they arrived at that figure," he told reporters. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up

Conspiracies against me will be foiled, says Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

A day ahead of his appearance before the ED in a money laundering case, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Wednesday slammed the BJP and said that every conspiracy hatched against him will be thwarted. In view of the ED's summons the ruling UPA in the state is holding back-to-back meetings. JMM is holding a separate meeting, while Congress has called a party legislators' meeting in the evening. A meeting of coalition partners is also likely to be held at the chief minister's residence in the evening, where RJD, which has a lone MLA, will be present. Soren slammed the BJP for the federal agency's summons but did not name it. By hook or by crook, they want to remove me from power. I will foil their conspiracy. He was speaking at a 'Milan Samaroh' in the chief minister's residence where a former BJP legislator of Giridih district, Jai Prakash Verma joined Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) along with his supporters. Some RJD leaders too joined the JMM at the programme. Soren said, We

Jharkhand CM Soren launches projects, schemes for state on Foundation Day

Chief Minister Hemant Soren Tuesday launched a number of projects and schemes for the development of Jharkhand at the 23rd statehood day function here. Soren said the government is committed to the welfare and overall development of the people and the work plans of the schemes and projects have been drafted in a way so that the poor and the deprived sections of the society can be uplifted. Governor Ramesh Bais, who was the chief guest at the function, however, gave it the miss. The governor was with President Droupadi Murmu at Khunti in the morning. After returning from there, he was not feeling well. So he could not take part in the programme, a Raj Bhawan official told PTI. Murmu, who paid her maiden visit to the state on Tuesday after assuming office, went directly to Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda in Khunti district and paid her respects to the freedom fighter and leader on his birth anniversary, which is celebrated as 'Janjaitya Gaurav Divas'. Murmu, who w