Soreness in relations between Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Prime Minister Narendra Modi refuses to die down.
The friction that started with his alleged hooting at the PM’s August 21 Ranchi visit continued on Thursday when the CM expressed serious doubts over ambitious financial inclusion scheme,
‘Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana’ launched by Modi in Delhi and across the nation simultaneously.
The Chief Minister, on the occasion of inauguration of the scheme in Jharkhand, went all out and expressed his serious apprehension over it citing incidents of financial cheatings done with people in Jharkhand.
“The scheme is sounding good and shows the Prime Minister’s sympathy towards the poor. But there are doubts as well. Jharkhand is a state of poor and labourers who have been cheated by insurance and chit fund companies in the past. Crores of rupees belonging to poor villagers have been galloped away. I fear that this Jan-Dhan Yojya does not turn into a ‘Jan Dhokha Yojana’,” said the CM.
He did not stop there only and in his veiled attack on the PM, equated his “hurried step” to launch the scheme as “Tuglaqui farman”. “Tuglaqui farman has not done things previously. Even Mughal emperors used to issue orders and plan schemes but many did not see light of the day,” he went on with his rhetoric.
It is when the PM underlined the speed in which the scheme came on surface within 13 days of its announcement made on August 15. He also termed it a tool to remove ‘financial untouchability’ which had made 40 per cent population of the country not a party of the larger economy. About 1.5 crore bank accounts were opened nationwide today.
The scheme that promises two no frills bank accounts every household, one of them necessarily of a lady, along with accidental and life insurances, over draft facility and debit cards, is now slated to cover entire country before the Republic Day, 2015, instead of August 15. The PM in his speech also mentioned about job creation in the form of insurance agents and Business Correspondents appointed by the bankers to open the accounts. But, this also failed to impress the CM.
“Agents have been eloping with poor people’s money in the past and the money has not come back yet. I don’t think opening accounts is a solution but banks should extend their facilities in far flung areas and just not depend on agents. I appeal to the Union Minister (Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was also present) to put these issues with the Centre,” said Soren.
The CM was smiling sarcastically when Modi counted on the benefits of the scheme and women empowerment coming with it en-masse. Chief Secretary Sudhir Prasad was seen making him understand about the nitty-gritty of the scheme and the effort was also joined by Pradhan but not of much help. The CM, just after the PM concluded his inaugural address in Delhi, handed over few account kits to the beneficiaries and left the venue in a huff without even waiting the Union Minister and others present on the dais to complete the formalities.
later, speaking to the media, Pradhan and BJP leader CP Singh condemned the gesture. “It is the immensely ambitious scheme but has been criticised by the CM. It shows his state of mind and his wisdom. His level of wisdom is like this,’ said the former.
The programme also saw drama and magic shows depicting benefits of financial inclusion to be presented. MPs VD Ram, Ram Tahal Choudhary and Sunil Singh, Executive Director of Bank of India and Ranchi Mayor Asha lakra were also present at the launch.