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Journalism of Courage
In the midst of the political uncertainty in Jharkhand, the state government has accorded Cabinet Minister status to four leaders of the ruling coalition through the formation of a coordination committee. While this committee has ostensibly been set up to “advise” the state government, highly-placed sources said it was an attempt by the Hemant Soren leadership to vest some powers in the hands of “loyal” leaders in the eventuality of any crisis.
The move comes at a time the Enforcement Directorate is turning up the heat on the Chief Minister — questioning him for nine hours Thursday — over alleged illegal mining. The Election Commission, too, has sent an opinion to the state Governor on Soren’s possible disqualification for owning a mining lease in Ranchi.
The committee, named ‘Jharkhand Rajya Samanway Samiti (Jharkhand State Coordination Committee)’, will be led by the Chief Minister’s father and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren. It will receive all “expected and necessary” secretariat-related help from the Cabinet Secretariat and Vigilance Department, as per a government resolution on November 14.
The committee has nine members including Shibu Soren. The four who have been given cabinet rank are Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur, and JMM leaders Fagu Besra, Yogendra Mahato and Binod Pandey. There are also two current Cabinet Ministers: Satyanand Bhokta and Alamgir Alam. The last member is Bandhu Tirkey, who was disqualified as MLA after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
The members will have a tenure of three years.
A source in the government said: “MP and MLAs will be disqualified under the office for profit law in case the ministerial status is given to them. Bandhu Tirkey was not given the status due to his disqualification earlier.”
One of the panel’s members, requesting anonymity, told The Indian Express: “The idea is to keep the government functioning in case Chief Minister Soren is arrested or disqualified. If it comes to that, we come into the picture so that there is no political crisis. It is a back-up plan.”
The resolution dated November 14, signed by Principal Secretary of the Department Vandana Dadel, stated that the committee will advise the government on speeding up developmental activities, curbing distress-driven migration of labourers and creating basic infrastructure, among other matters.
It read: “…Rajya ke santulit vikas ki sambhavnaye talashne tatha jan-akanshaaon ke anurup rajya ke vikas yojnaao ke saath samanjasya sthapit karne hetu ‘Jharkhand Rajya Samanway Samiti’ ka gathan ke sambandh mein. (It will look to exlore ways for balanced development of the state as per people’s desire reconciling various schemes).”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren Friday addressed his supporters at his residence.
“Moolvasis and Adivasis will have to take up responsibilities, otherwise people will come from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and rule over you. Even today, the BJP brings people from other states and makes them MPs from here. In the times to come, all Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies will be won by Moolvasis and Adivasis… This unity will save Jharkhand.”
He also targeted the ED: “Yesterday I had gone to them and for around eight hours I was questioned. I told them the allegations they have made (of Rs 1000 crore illegal mining), can be done in two years?”
