The budget session of Jharkhand Assembly commenced on Monday. The budget session will have 17 working days, with the main budget of the state being tabled on March 3. On Monday, the budget session started with newly appointed Governor of State C.P. Radhakrishnan’s address. The Governor in his address highlighted the achievements of Government. Earlier, the Governor on his arrival to the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly was received by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto and Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
As the Governor highlighted the achievements of Soren government, the opposition termed the Governor speech as being read as a bundle of lies, the minister of the ruling party called it a mirror of the state's development.
In his speech, the Governor said that the state government has presented a unique example of running the government with mutual participation of the people and the system. The significance of democracy lies in governance of the people, for the people and by the people. The government has shown it by doing it in the true sense.
The Governor said that from policy-making to decision making and from implementation of decisions to monitoring of government schemes, people's participation is being ensured in every field. The priority of the government is the all-round development of the poor, deprived, exploited, tribals, Dalits, backward, minorities, elders, youth, women, labourers and farmers. The government is committed to the development of Jharkhand by promoting its identity, culture, language and civilization.
The Governor said that due to the visionary and strong decisions of the State Government, the third wave of Corona had minimal effect in the State. While the government took all possible measures to control the corona infection, it also did not allow the economy to derail. As much as the work done by the government for Covid prevention, Covid friendly behaviour and hospital management, the same work was done for the livelihood of the poor, education of children, employment of youth, development work and schemes for public welfare. While the country's economic growth rate remained negative (-6.6) in the year 2020-21 during the Corona epidemic, Jharkhand's growth rate was negative (-5.5) per cent.
The economic growth rate in the year 2021-22 has been 8.2 per cent. During the Corona epidemic, the per capita income in Jharkhand was Rs 70,071 in the year 2020-21, which increased to Rs 78,660 in 2021-22.
It was said in the address that these figures are indicative of the fact that Jharkhand has the ability to touch new dimensions of success with its determined efforts even in adverse circumstances. The Governor said that the State Government has started the Jharkhand Agricultural Loan Waiver Scheme in the interest of the farmers. Under this scheme, a loan of Rs 1727 crore has been waived from 4.5 lakh farmers. Relief work has been started by declaring 226 blocks of 22 districts as drought-affected. Under the Chief Minister Drought Relief Scheme, an amount of Rs 461 crore has been transferred to more than 13 lakh farmers at the rate of Rs 3500 per family. 3300 crore loan has been disbursed to farmers through Kisan Credit Card among 6.30 lakh farmers.
Responding to the Governor's address, BJP MLA Anant Ojha said that the Governor has been taught a bundle of lies. It happens under the constitutional system but there is anarchy in the state, the issues of the public are missing, the government has failed to fulfill the interests of the mandate.
