In its Core Committee meeting the State BJP on Saturday discussed the most controversial and sensitive problems of the adolescents of Jharkhand invoking the leaders in the government to finalise a realistic domicile policy within two months. Also, the leaders tried to reach at consensus on December 15, 2000 as the cut-off date for deciding domicile of the residents of Jharkhand.
“The policy framing panel of the party has made the Chief Minister aware of the public sentiments on the issue. We have conducted several meetings with different segments of society and senior leaders have been trying to sense the mood of the people of Jharkhand. Now, it is the duty of the Government to decide on the policy,” said State BJP president Ravindra Rai.
On being asked whether a consensus was building on making December 15, 2000 as the cut-off date for domicile policy, Rai said the BJP was not in favour of making a demarcating line for outsiders and insiders. “We would like to see a policy that doesn’t prove divisive in society. It should serve the interest of each resident of Jharkhand. The party doesn’t want a demarcation in the state that becomes socially unacceptable,” he said.
The Koderma MP also said a general consensus was building for making an acceptable policy that remains a practical solution for large-scale recruitments on thousands of vacant posts of the state. Party insiders, however, hinted that most of the senior leaders were of the opinion to decide December 15, 2000 as the cut-off date for finalisation of the policy.
“Most of the leaders feel that Jharkhand should adopt the policy of other neighbouring states that have considered the dates of their creation as cut-off dates. This will be acceptable to most Jharkhandis. They feel if you go back to pre-independence era there will be gross injustice to thousands of residents who have been staying here for decades,” said a senior leader present in the meeting.
According to sources, CM Raghubar Das listened to the suggestions carefully and it was proposed that policy finalisation to be completed in next two months after more meetings with different classes of people. The CM also said to have assured the senior leaders present in the meeting to complete the policy formulation work in the set time frame with a consensus of all stakeholders.
The Core Committee also dwelt upon integrating over 40 lakh new members of the party with its core objectives and ideology and also making them work for the betterment of the residents of the State. Senior leaders including CM Rgahubar Das, former CM Arjun Munda, former union minister Yashwant Sinha, state president Ravindra Rai, State General Secretary Rajendra Singh among other senior leaders were present in the meeting.
Notably, the issue of formulation of domicile policy has been one of the most controversial ones ever since inception of Jharkhand as a State. The Babulal Marandi-led BJP government had to face the ire of the locals after Marandi had invoked a law formulated in undivided Bihar to define the domicile status of a resident in Jharkhand. Thereafter, several attempts were made to reach consensus on formation of the policy since then but nothing concrete could be done. It is for the first time a full majority Government led by the BJP is in the final stages of formulation of the policy with political consensus.