Jharkhand Governor addresses Assembly, govt promises 33 pc job reservation for women

Ranchi (The Uttam Hindu): Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, addressing the first Special Session of the sixth Assembly on Wednesday, announced several key initiatives on behalf of the Jharkhand government. Most importantly, the Jharkhand government, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren has pledged to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in state government jobs.

The Governor also emphasised the government's commitment to creating a local policy for tribals and native residents, ensuring 100 per cent reservation in third and fourth-grade government jobs. Presenting the state’s development road map, the Governor noted that the Centre and its enterprises owe Jharkhand a sum of Rs 1.36 lakh crore, and the state government will pursue legal measures to recover this amount.

The address also included plans to promote tribal languages and initiatives to include Ho, Mundari, Kurukh, and other tribal languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Governor also highlighted other key promises that the state government will pursue -- provision of interest-free loans for all farmers, free education for children from KG to PG and implementation of the Sarna tribal religion code.

The Governor began by congratulating the newly-elected members of the Sixth Assembly and commended the peaceful election process. He expressed hope that the MLAs would work diligently to build a prosperous and progressive Jharkhand. Highlighting the government's focus on inclusive development, he affirmed a commitment to ensuring rights, security, and opportunities for all, with special attention to marginalised communities. Key proposals from the previous Assembly, including a 28 per cent reservation for tribals, 27 per cent for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and 12 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs), remain pending with the Union Home Ministry. The Governor assured that efforts will be made to expedite approval of these proposals.

The government also expressed commitment to addressing the grievances of Sahara India investors, announcing plans to support affected investors, including the families of those who faced distress or loss due to Sahara’s financial collapse. Legal battles will be fought vigorously to recover the people's funds. To support farmers, the government plans to offer loans at a 0 per cent interest rate and issue land receipts to peasants residing on non-cultivated lands. For workers under MNREGA, the state aims to augment their wages, ensuring a minimum daily wage of Rs 350. Apart from that, Rs 10,000 crore will be invested in utilising river and dam water resources.

The government has proposed establishing 500 CM Schools of Excellence with health and music teachers, 4,500 Panchayat-level Adarsh Vidyalayas, degree colleges in every block and polytechnics at the sub-division level. Further, a Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Library will also be established to promote education and knowledge dissemination.