Mail News Service
Ranchi, Feb 16: Jharkhand’s Rural Development Minister, Deepika Pandey Singh, has accused the central government of financial discrimination against the state, claiming that Jharkhand’s due payments under various development schemes remain pending. She highlighted that the state has not received ₹1.36 lakh crore in coal royalties, along with pending dues in schemes like PM Awas Yojana, MNREGA, Nal-Jal Yojana and the Child Development Project.
The minister stated that the Finance Department is preparing a report to determine the exact outstanding amount. If the central government does not release the dues, the Jharkhand government is prepared to launch an agitation. “Jharkhand has a history of fighting for its rights and we will continue to do so,” she asserted.
During a recent video conference with Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Singh demanded an increase in PM Awas Yojana’s financial assistance from ₹1.2 lakh to ₹2 lakh, stating that the current amount is insufficient for providing proper housing to the poor.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s concerns over populist schemes, she defended government welfare initiatives, emphasizing that programs like the Mainiya Samman Yojana, housing schemes and electricity bill waivers are aimed at empowering women and helping the needy.
