The 13-day budget session of Jharkhand Assembly began here amid ruckus with the Opposition vociferously protesting Governor Syed Ahmed’s opening speech as a “bundle of lies” and planning to corner the Government on the issue of auctioning sand and liquor shops.
As is the custom, the year’s opening session began with statutory speech of the Governor which is actually a statement of the State Government but as soon as Ahmed started reading it out, the Opposition MlAs started shouting slogans against the contents of the speech. The Opposition consistently tried to interrupt the Governor while delivering his speech for not presenting the actual picture and reading out only the announcements done by the Government.
The Governor’s speech is actually prepared and approved by the Cabinet. However, all through the sloganeering, Ahmed remained unfased and finished reading out his 24-page speech before leaving the House. Highlighting the Hemant Goverment’s achievements in a “short tenure”, the Governor said that the State Government has set a goal of constructing 2000 km road in the next fiscal with the financial support of Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre to connect as many as 1250 hamlets.
Ahmed said that the Government has utilised Rs 369.57 crore against the budgetary provision of Rs 406 crore and constructed 634 rural roads under the State sponsored scheme. The Governor pointed out that the Government has signed an agreement with various agencies to set up 104 health information helpline in order to provide 24x7 free medical advice over telephone.
Ahmed said that the e-Rahat project launched by the State Government will help a person within minutes if he/she dials the toll free number — 1967 — to inform about incidents like theft, fire, road accident, accident, rape, dacoity etc. Echoing President Pranab Mukherjee, the Governor said that anarchy has no place in Indian democracy. “We expect the legislators to behave decently and maintain the dignity of the House.”
Ahmed also said that the Government has a plan to distribute battery operated rickshaws among BPl rickshawwallas and will renovate the rainbaseras to provide them shelter which will also be equipped with battery re-chargjng facility. The scheme will be launched on a pilot basis in Ranchi and Dhanbad cities. The Opposition was, however, not convinced.
“In the speech delivered by the Governor, the Government has tried to count the achievements which are a bouquet of lies. They have not yet been implemented but are proposals only,” said JVM legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav. The actual picture of achievements has not been put in the Governor’s address, he asserted. Similarly, former Speaker CP Singh and BJP MlA claimed that the Government does not have adequate numbers in the House and thus slipped into minority when the Governor was making his inaugural address.
“The condition of Government could be understood from the fact that only 22 MlAs were present during the speech of the Governor,” said Singh. Moreover, the Governor must cross check whether the speech he is delivering really has some facts in it or not, he added. AJSU MlAs also protested in front of the Assembly demanding regularisation of para teachers and special status for the state along with fulfilling the demands of inter-college teachers and non-teaching staffs.
“The facts must be included into the speech of the Governor rather than reading out the proposals which are still on the papers,” said AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto. The Opposition belonging to the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and the CPI (Ml) protested before the House. CPI(Ml) MlA Binod Singh raised demanded that his constituency Bagodar should get sub-division status under Giridih district.