Budget session begins with BJP protesting Guv’s speech

Massive mandate to ruling JMM in last election: Gangwar

Ranchi, February 24: Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government’s first budget session after storming to power began on Monday without the leader of opposition even after three months of assembly elections.

 The massive mandate to the ruling JMM-led alliance in last year’s assembly elections in Jharkhand shows it resides in people’s hearts, Governor Santosh Gangwar said in the House on Monday, drawing protests from the opposition BJP.

The JMM-led alliance returned to power in the state for the second time in a row in the assembly elections held in November last year, trouncing the BJP despite its high-pitched campaign.

“Record polling in elections shows not only people’s faith in democracy but also reflects their unbreakable faith in work and policies of the government,” Gangwar said in his address to the assembly during the budget session.

The governor said elections are the biggest festival of democracy, and free and fair polls and an overwhelming mandate to the ruling alliance will be a driving force for the government to work with commitment for the welfare of the masses.

Gangwar said that the government believes in the empowerment of all, including youth, women and the marginalised.

The government’s top priority is to establish a transparent, constitutional, sensitive and corruption-free administration, Gangwar said, adding that corruption is a major hurdle in the development journey of a state.

“Our government is committed to making Jharkhand free from corruption,” Gangwar said, amid anti-government slogans raised by BJP legislators in the House.

He said that the government was committed to eradicating corruption, and arrested 56 public servants for their alleged involvement in it.

The governor said maintaining the rule of law is the top priority of the state government.

“Anti-Naxal operations were conducted in a planned manner, which resulted in the arrest of 248 Naxalites in 2024. As many as 24 Naxalites surrendered and nine were killed in encounters,” he said.

A total of 154 organised criminals and 898 cybercriminals were also arrested in the state, Gangwar said.

He also listed various welfare schemes of the government including Maiyan Samman Yojna, a financial assistance scheme for women, and Abua Awas housing programme, among others.

Gangwar said the government is also making all efforts to generate employment.

“In a bid to provide employment to youths in private sector, as many as 81 recruitment camps and 63 Rojgar mela were organised this financial year and 8,499 youths were selected for jobs through them. A total of 21,861 trainees were provided job offers through skill conclave,” he said.

Similarly, action is being taken to fill the vacant posts in different government departments.

“Of the total 48,504 recruitment requisition sent to Jharkhand State Selection Commission, advertisement for 56,552 vacancies have been issued,” he said.

The governor said that his administration is committed to providing quality healthcare services to the last person in the society.

“In this regard, the government has started Mukhyamantri Abua Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, under which health cover of Rs 15 lakh is being provided to ration card holders,” he said.

The opposition BJP raised slogans, alleging there was no truth in the Gangwar’s speech. To this, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato said obstructing the governor is not the tradition of the assembly.

Jharkhand BJP state president Babulal Marandi told reporters that the speech read out by the governor in the assembly was a “bundle of lies”.

BJP leader and former chief minister Champai Soren said the government has failed on all fronts but it made the governor read its “false achievements”.

 The first day of the budget session was adjourned on Monday after obituary references were made to eminent personalities who died recently.

The assembly session will conclude on March 27. The state budget for the 2025-26 fiscal will be tabled on March 3.