People's Democracy

Declare Jharkhand Drought Hit: Left Parties

Shashikant

ON September 23, 2013, a delegation of the Left parties called on the Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren, at Ranchi and urged for his intervention to improve the law and order situation and tackle the drought situation in the state.

The delegation included the CPI(M) state secretary Gopikant Baksi, CPI(M) state secretariat member and former MLA Rajendra Singh Munda, K D Singh of the CPI and Radhakant Jha of the RSP.

The memorandum submitted to the chief minister expressed concern over the sharply deteriorating law and order situation throughout the state, including the capital city Ranchi. The graph of heinous crimes like gang rape, murder, abduction of women and children, and trafficking in women are sharply rising with every passing.

The delegation demanded that the police must deal with the culprits sternly and a special task force be set up to deal with the crimes. The delegation demanded a CBI probe into the issue of gang rape and murder of two school girls in the Police Line at Deoghar by the wards of police personals during the third spell of president’s rule in Jharkhand in May 2013. In spite of the order of the state governor, a CBI probe has not yet been initiated.

The delegation drew the chief minister’s attention towards the concerted attempts being made by communal forces to disrupt communal harmony in the state.

The delegation said that several parts of the state were witnessing a dry spell due to irregular monsoon. It demanded that the government must declare drought in Jharkhand, immediately start relief programmes, waive the farmers’ loans, sanction them fresh loans without interest, increase the number of working days under the MGNREGA, supply 35 kg of foodgrains to the affected families per month at the rate of one rupee per kg, and supply essential commodities through the public distribution System.

The issue of 11.40 lakh beneficiaries of the additional BPL list, who were deprived of getting foodgrains for the last four months, was raised by the delegation. Restoration of the supply has since been demanded.

The chief minister discussed the issues raised by the delegation and assured to look into the matter. On the drought like situation, he said the government was constantly monitoring it.