The Opposition parties in Jharkhand on Thursday lodged strong protest against the Cabinet decision of defining domicile policy in Jharkhand, calling it a fraud against the original inhabitants and tribal population of the State. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in its official statement said that the Cabinet decision was confusing and was against the basic tenet of the formation of Jharkhand.
The JMM said that it condemned the insulting decision of the Government taken just before 72 hours of Sarhul Puja. “According to the decision, the Khatiyan (land records) and 30 years duration of staying in the State, both are contradictory to each other. In the employment of third and fourth grade posts the inclusion of local people has been accepted and its compulsion has been done away with. This will again benefit outsiders. The JMM will soon prepare its strategy and launch a state wide movement against the decision,” it stated.
The party called the decision a complete deceit as it said that the letter issued by the Personnel department of the Government seeking JMM's written opinion on the policy was received today itself by the party. The JMM stated that the decision was taken with a biased mindset ignoring the popular sentiments of the people of Jharkhand.
The State unit of Congress said that it appears less like a domicile policy and more like a recruitment policy. PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat said that the way the policy has been present is illusionary and unclear. "The purposes, for which the State of Jharkhand was created, are totally absent in the policy. How will the languages and culture of the State will be preserved, how will locals participate in the development of State and how will locals get partnership in industries and tenders is not clear. As far as jobs are concerned, people will get them under limited percentage. The government has announced the policy but the element of domicile is absent from it," Bhagat said.
The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha leaders, however, appeared to be treading very cautiously on the sensitive issue. Party leaders Bandhu Tirkey and others called it too early to comment on the issue. "let me read the policy document then only I can say something," he said. Party chief Babulal Marandi and senior leader Pradeep Yadav remained "out of reach" to comment on the issue.