A solemn ceremony marked the 29th death anniversary of Devendra Manjhi, was organised at Goilkera Haat Bazaar ground on Saturday. Chief Minister Hemant Soren and local MLA Joba Majhi, along with officials and workers of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, paid heartfelt tributes to the fallen hero.

Before the tribute event, Minister Joba Majhi honoured martyr Devendra Majhi by laying floral wreaths at his tomb on Pump Road. The convoy then proceeded to Goilkera from Chakradharpur, receiving warm welcomes along the way. JMM workers, with drums and traditional fanfare, greeted Minister Joba Majhi near the Girls Middle School in Goilkera.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the chief guest at the tribute program, arrived at 3 pm and engaged with party workers and supporters from Manoharpur Assembly and Saranda area. During the visit, he addressed the concerns of the local community and interacted with residents. Notably, a demand letter was submitted by villagers under the leadership of Manoharpur Dhipa Panchayat head Ashok Banda, highlighting the region's pressing issues. The event underscored the party's commitment to honoring martyrs and addressing the needs of the people in the area.

The solemn event took place in the dense Naxal-affected area near Chaibasa, West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, underscoring the Chief Minister's commitment to honoring those who sacrificed during the state's freedom fight.

The tribute ceremony unfolded in Goilkera, a region known for its challenging security situation. Despite the heightened security measures, Chief Minister Hemant Sorenlaid wreaths at the memorial dedicated to Martyr Devendra Manjhi. The ceremony not only commemorated the sacrifice of the freedom fighter but also symbolized the state's resilience in the face of challenges.

Addressing people on the occasion the CM said, “Jharkhand has always been the land of heroes and martyrs. Many heroes here fought a long battle against injustice and exploitation. Many sacrificed everything in this fight. One name among these martyrs is Devendra Manjhi. He sacrificed his life for the protection of water, forest and land. We can never forget his contribution as the pioneer of water-forest-land.”

The Chief Minister said that our heroes fought a long struggle for the movement of separate Jharkhand state and for the protection of tribals, indigenous people and water, forest and land. Now it becomes our responsibility to improve Jharkhand according to the dreams of these martyrs. Give the people here their rights and entitlements with full respect. Our government is fully committed to this and are moving rapidly in this direction. He said that the new construction of Jharkhand will be the true tribute to the martyrs.

The CM said that building a better society and state is possible only through education. In such a situation, our government has special emphasis on the improvement of education. To ensure that girls do not leave their studies, they are being linked to Savitribai Phule Samriddhi Yojana. The government is providing financial assistance for everything from preparation for competitive exams to studies of medical engineering and other courses. 100% scholarship is being given to the children here to get higher education abroad. In excellent schools, children are being given education on the lines of private schools. Apart from this, many schemes related to education are going on, which are working to improve the future of the youth here.

The CM said that providing social security to the poor and needy here is a special priority of the government. In this series, our government is giving social security pension to all the elderly, disabled and widows through the Universal Pension Scheme. The Chief Minister said that special instructions have been given to the officials to ensure that no elderly person is deprived of pension.

The CM said that through the Government Aapke Dwar program, work was done to solve the problems of lakhs of people by organizing camps in Panchayats and connecting them with the schemes. Now this program is going to start once again. Officials will visit your homes and not only give you information about government schemes but will also work to provide you its benefits. Jharkhand is a state where the officials are going to far flung and remote villages and solving your problems at your doorstep. This trend will continue further also.