While the debate over proposed domicile policy of the State has intensified, Opposition leader Hemant Soren on Thursday met Chief Minister Raghubar Das to discuss the issue and handed him a letter apprising him of his personal and party’s views on the domicile issue. In the letter, Hemant alleged that the Government was trying to conspire against the interests of ‘adivasis’ and ‘moolwasis’ in the State. He also suggested the CM to be more sensitive towards the rights of original habitants of the State.
“Inhabitant of this State will never get the benefits of formation of this State, if the interests of State get politicised,” said the former CM. Soren also requested the CM to publicise some questions before the domicile policy of the state gets finalised by his Government.
Soren, through the memorandum put four questions before the State Government. Firstly, whether there will be separate domicile and recruitment policies for the state or will the Government carry on the recruitments process on the basis of the domicile policy formulated by itIJ
Secondly, what were the directions issued by the State officials for issuing residential and domicile certificatesIJ Thirdly, the letter stated, if residential and a domicile certificate in the State was issued on the basis of ‘Khatian’, why it could not be made the basis for making recruitments in the StateIJ
Finally, it questioned, why ‘adivasis’ and ‘moolwasis’ were not given preference in the recruitment of third and fourth grade jobs in the state government if their land had been acquired for mining and industrialization purposesIJ
Das, who had promised to table a draft domicile policy during the recently concluded Budget Session and ensured a new policy in place within two months, has been working pro-actively to gather opinions from all the stakeholders.
Although various political parties in the state tried to push their own agenda on the issue during the all-party meetings, one of the key allies AJSU Party on Tuesday, proposed to keep domicile and recruitment policy separate, proposing to classify domicile for the people of the state on the basis of domicile of origin and of choice.
Instead of suggesting a cut-off date to determine the domicile of an individual, AJSU proposed to consider the length of continuity of staying in Jharkhand for determine domicile of choice whereas for domicile of origin, it suggested using the land survey of 1932 as base line, along with the tribal protection laws.
The Hemant Soren Government had also set up a special committee, which also had made some recommendations attarcting all round protest from the opposition parties.
Earlier on March 9 also, Speaker Dinesh Oraon also had directed the State Government to come up with well-defined policy for the locals after the matter was raised by leader of opposition Hemant Soren. Das said his government was aware of the directive.
Different tribal outfits have been demanding 50 per cent reservation in all grade III and grade IV Government jobs whereas sadaan moolvasis have been demanding a share in reservation at par with the tribals. The controversy emerges in finalising of a cut-off date for the moolvasis, who are not willing to share reservation provisions with those who migrated into Jharkhand in the recent past.