Coal companies to give Rs 100cr for school toilets: Goyal
Seemingly baffled over having denied time to meet him, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday used the opportunity to lodge protest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his speech while sharing dais with the PM, Soren urged him to devote some of his attention and listen to the State on pricking issues such as poverty and naxal violence it is living with.
“I had sought time from you to meet and put our problems before you but could not get. I think the Centre should be sensitive to the poor states like ours. I want to discuss naxal problem and poverty with you. Our path may be different but goal is the same. We have to work under federal structure,” said the CM after congratulating him for the thumping majority.
Soren also touched upon judicious ways for development and invited Modi to see mining areas, its repercussions on tribal and dead mountains of Jharkhand. Terming the five per cent hike in iron ore royalty—the Prime Minister in his speech it lauded as boon for the State in terms of additional Rs 400 crore coming every year—insufficient, the CM indicated towards rising capitalism. He cited northward prices of essential commodities such as of onion and potato and indicated towards hardship common man had to live with.
The CM also tried to equate with Modi while mentioning about his rainy days. “My mother as well has taken me at this level by washing utensils in rich people’s homes.”
Earlier, beginning the programme Union Energy and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal stressed over the need of unified command for fast paced development. “The Prime Minister also had mentioned in his August 15 speech that the Government was divided in Departments. We see its effect as the NTPC’s North Karanpura project got delayed for 10 years. This is why the new Government has clubbed Coal and Energy Ministries. Jharkhand would be immensely benefited with project,” he said.
Goyal also assured that through CSR initiatives by various coal companies Rs 100 crore would be spent on providing toilet facilities in all the schools. By August 15, 2015 no school in the State would be without sanitation and potable water facilities. He also stressed over setting up coal washeries besides tapping solar energy and dousing Jharia coal fire on environment point of view.
Union Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that IT linked education was the need of the hour and it would be given in Jharkhand also in regional languages. “We have planned to make one crore people computer literate. 30-40 hours training would be given to them in selected blocks. A software park on 220002 feet would be built in two years time in Ranchi. Four other parks would come up at Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Deoghar.”