The newly elected Hemat Soren Government in State has decided to withdraw cases against people for taking part in Pathalgadi Movement in Khunti last year.
In the first Cabinet meeting led by Hemant Soren it was also decided to take back cases filed against those protesting against the changes in the Chottanagpur Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (CNT/SPT) Act. All three ministers in Hemant cabinet, Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oroan and Satyanand Bhokta attended the first Cabinet meet.
The Pathalgadi word also spelt as Pathalgarhi hit the national headlines last year, after many tribal villages in Khunti and Simdega areas putting up giant plaques declaring their gram sabha as the only sovereign authority and banning outsiders from their areas. Pathalgadi supporters who claim to be the real ‘Bharat Sarkar’ on June last year allegedly abducted and gangraped five NGO workers.
The Pathalgadi members mainly comprising tribals last year also attacked the ancestral house of then Khunti MP Kariya Munda in Khunti last.
After this back to back incident, the then Raghubar Das Government had decided to tackle the situation with iron hand against Pathalgadi and their leader Yosuf Purty.
State police along with other security agencies conducted raids at villages in Khunti and Simdega districts considered as Pathalgadi supporter’s stronghold arresting several of them and their alleged sympathizers. Sedition cases were lodged against some of the Pathagadis supporters, while many others had to face criminal cases under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Sources said an estimate cases were filed against around 10,000 people with majority coming from tribal communities. Similar type of tribal unrest was in 2017 when tribal communities protested against government move to make changes in CNT/SPT Act. The Raghubar Das Government through a bill in Assembly wanted to bring changes in CNT/SPT Act, but later withdrew the bill on witnessing people’s unrest.
Sources said withdrawal of cases in Pathalgadi and CNT/SPT Act were in JMM manifesto and by withdrawing cases the Government wants to please tribal communities.
The Cabinet also decided that the first meeting of the new Assembly will take place from January 6 to January 8.
Stephen Marandi will be the pro-tem Speaker, who will administer oath to newly elected MLAs.
It was also decided to fill up all vacancies in the Jharkhand Government in six months. It was also decided to give unemployment allowance to jobless young people and release pending scholarship to students.
The Cabinet also decided to set up new fast track courts soon to deal cases sexual exploitation against women and other groups.
The Cabinet also decided that all district deputy commissioners should take action by organising camps at block and panchayat level to complete all pending payments related to various types of contractual workers, Anganwadi workers, assistants, pensioners of different categories, scholarships of all kinds and contractual teachers.
The Cabinet also decided that to make changes in Jharkhand logo modified according to the culture, tradition, history and future of State. In this regard, action should be taken to redesign the proposal by inviting it.
The Cabinet also decided that all the Deputy Commissioners should distributes blankets, woolen hats among the poor and eligible persons in their respective districts as soon as possible. For relief from winter, arrangements should be made in public places for bonfires.