After days of stalemate and interruptions, when the House was allowed to function properly on Monday, Chief Minister Raghubar Das used the opportunity to give some good news to the small scale industry, the education sector and jobs seekers in the State.
The Chief Minister (CM) assured small industries of complete protection from tax-related issues besides, promising to bring a specific policy for overall growth of the sector that holds significance in terms of employment generation, investment and industrial production.
Announcing this in the House, the CM, at the same time, justified withholding tax rebate on input cost which has been introduced in the State through an amendment in VAT rules.
"The changes have been made because we provide land for industries; our labourers work there; we bear brunt of the pollution but finished products are sold to other States in the name of stock transfer! We were not getting tax in such cases. Some industrialists are taking advantage of the situation. But I promise that the Government is here to protect small industries. We are also in the process of bringing a separate policy for the small industries of Jharkhand," said Das.
He was replying to a query during Question Hour by JVM legislator Pradeep Yadav who termed the changes as detrimental to the interests of small traders. later, Das said the Industry Department under 'start-up India' and 'stand-up India' programmes is going to appoint experts as special secretaries on contract basis whereas the I-T Department has kept aside Rs 50 crore fund for the promotion of one of the key initiatives taken by the Narendra Modi Government.
Das added that 2016 would be the year of appointments for Jharkhand. "There is no proposal for setting up university service commission and the JPSC has been assigned with the job to recruit teaching and non-teaching staff for colleges and universities of the State. Now on, JPSC would conduct exams for university staff every year," he said.
Also, exams would be conducted for grade III and IV employees since guidelines for their recruitment are complete. The CM clarified that there was no proposal pending for regularisation of contractual employees and stretching reservation limit beyond 50 per cent with the Government.
Responding to Dhanbad MlA Raj Sinha's appeal for a new university in the coal belt considering the hardship faced by students, the CM said the State Government was in talks with the Centre in this regard. "We are considering the proposal to set up a university in the name of late Vinod Bihari Mahto in Koyelaanchal region. Preliminary talks with the Union HRD Minster have also taken place," said Das.
CM's style of functioning dictatorial: Hemant
From deafening noise to deafening silence! This is the scene that welcomed the Treasury Benches in the Assembly on Monday when Opposition members, especially JMM, staged a silent protest on the floor registering their unhappiness over "unpleasant" behaviour of Das in the House.
The members, including leader of Opposition Hemant Soren remained on their feet for ten minutes and kept mum while the Question Hour was going on. The unexpected gesture irritated members from the BJP who tried to provoke the silent legislators.
Nonetheless, the uncomfortable silence broke outside when Hemant Soren charged the Chief Minister of dictating terms to the Assembly. "Anyone can see the way he behaves in public forums and also in the House. His attitude has no parallel in the parliamentary system of functioning. It is as if the Assembly is in his pocket! He told the Speaker to shut the House.
He should know that it is the highest body of the State," said the former Chief Minister, addressing the media in his chamber during the break.
The anger was the result of last Friday's spat between the CM and some Opposition members when the former, expressing anguish over repeated disruptions had asked Speaker Dinesh Oraon to guillotine the demand for grant and close the proceedings for the day.
Soren justified the disruptions, saying they were in the larger interest of the people. "Is it wrong to raise issues related to interest of poor in the House, about safeguarding their land and resourcesIJ We are not doing sycophancy of Adani and Ambani here. Everything under this Government is being done on the instructions of Adani and both the Governments are dancing to their tunes from Delhi to Ranchi," alleged the lOP.
He said Das' "dictatorial" style of functioning had become talking point across the State and some members and Ministers of the ruling party had admitted this to him.
When asked about Godda MP Nishikant Dubey's recent jibe against the politicians from Santhal Pargana, Soren termed him as "agent of corporate houses" and a person who "works as link between companies and common people for the latter's exploitation."