AMN / RANCHI
In its maiden Cabinet meeting held today, Hemant Soren led coalition government took several important decisions. It announced to take back all the cases lodged against accused in Pathalgadi movement and early filling up of all posts lying vacant in the state government. It was also decided that Fastrack courts will be soon set up in all districts for early redressal of cases related to women and child sexual harassment.
Cabinet secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said the first cabinet meeting under Soren also cleared the creation of fast track courts to hear cases of rapes and other crimes against women and girlchild. It also gave its nod to additional posts of judicial officers.
The BJP which is now the main opposition party in the state has slammed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led government’s decision on Pathalgadi.
Some of tribal belts in the state specially Khunti district had recently witnessed the worst ever separatist movement, which is known locally as Pathalgadi.
Pathalgadi is a practice of raising stone plaques at village outskirts with warnings and declarations inscribed on it. The plaques declared village gram sabha as the only sovereign authority and banned the entry of outsiders in the village. The movement was finally quelled after the arrest of its leaders.
Reportedly, there were more than 75 FIRs registered in different police stations in Khunti district against proponents of this movement including nearly 10,000 unknowns.
The then Raghubar Das government’s decision to amend the tenancy laws in 2017 also saw widespread protests. The Governor had returned the proposal with suggestions leading to the BJP withdrawing it.
In other decisions, the cabinet cleared immediate filling up of vacancies in the government offices along with speedy disbursement of dues to para-teachers, Anganwari workers and student scholarships.
The state cabinet also decided to hold a three-day assembly session from January 6 and appointed JMM legislator Stephen Marandi the pro-tem speaker, who will administer oaths to the newly elected members of the fifth assembly, said Singh.
JMM Senior Leader Stephen Marandi from Maheshpur constituency will be nominated as the Protem Speaker for the new Assembly session of the government to be held from January 6-8, in 2020. All the newly elected legislators will also take oath of office and secrecy in the new Assembly session.