Reservations, Land Rights, Allowances, Women Banks and a lot more is promised!
Jharkhand is gearing up for elections in the last month of the year. With a ruling state government led by the Bhartiya Janta Party, the opposition forces have awakened to give it a tough fight. The main opposition which BJP might face is from the regional party of the area, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha [JMM]. In a release of its manifesto, JMM has assured to grant 67% reservation to the Scheduled Tribes [ST], Other Backward Classes [OBC] and Scheduled Castes [SC]. Also, the manifesto promises the opportunity to avail government job for the local people, if it is elected to power in the next Assembly elections.
Ahead of the polls, the president of JMM Shibu Soren and his politician son, Hemant Soren have said it is time to bring some relief to the unemployed in the State. They have promised unemployed graduates and post-graduates an allowance of Rs. 5,000/- and Rs.7,000/- respectively. In the private sector, 75% of the jobs would be reserved for the local people of Jharkhand.
In an emerging pre-poll alliance in the State, JMM has come together with Congress and the RJD. Their scheme for reservation allows for 28% reservation to the Scheduled Tribes, 27% to Other Backward Classes and 12% to Scheduled Castes. The manifesto assures poor families an earning of a minimum Rs. 72,000 per annum, along with the pension of Rs2,500 per month for the elderly and differently-abled, if any in the family. The view of the regional political party is to fill up the vacancies in different government departments within two years of the formation of the government. It has promised that the youths of Jharkhand will fill the posts as per the provisions laid down in the local policy.
It has also promised the introduction of the Bhoomi Adhikaar Kanoon (Right to Land Act) as an initiative to give land to the landless people. Under the provisions of the said Act, there will be tenders of up to Rs. 25 crores reserved for the natives of the State. It also has a requirement for land lying vacant for five years, saying it will be taken back and return to its own ownership.
Given that Jharkhand is a tribal area with a large tribal population, the manifesto of the JMM has promised that if voted to power, within three months it will recommend the Centre to include Ho, a tribal language, in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. It touches upon the issue of financial independence for women, saying the State government will take steps to set up in the State such banks for women where they can avail a loan facility up to Rs. 50,000 without the need of naming any guarantor. It also mentions that Rs. 2000 extra would be given to women who belong to more impoverished families towards a head called the ‘kitchen expenses’.
As a relief to the farmers, there is a provision in the manifesto to set up the Kisan Bank for setting up the minimum support price [MSP] for their agriculture produce and fruits, with an earmark. It has also mentioned that the MSP for paddy would be between Rs. 2,300 to Rs.2,700/-.
If the JMM forms a government in this tenure of the state assembly elections, it has assured the people not to acquire land for private companies. It goes on to touch the issue of unemployment by saying that the man-days under the government scheme of MG-NREGA will be increased in the State for 150 days. Moreover, it assures the implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations, benefitting the minority. It has announced the setting up of Madarasa Boards and Urdu Academy. Out of a total of 81 seats in the State, the JMM is contesting in 43 seats. In alliance with Congress, who is fighting for 31 positions and RJD, who is fighting for seven states. The state assembly elections are set to be held in five phases across the State between November 30 and December 20. The counting is scheduled on December 23.