Jamshedpur: MLA of Jamshedpur East, Purnima Sahu, raised the challenges faced by the Teli community during Zero Hour in the Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday. She drew the government’s attention to two important issues and demanded concrete action.
She stated that the Teli community’s traditional occupation of oil extraction is now almost extinct throughout Jharkhand. This traditional oil-making skill is no longer a source of livelihood, and most members of the community have become dependent on agriculture.
Sahu demanded that the government establish an “Oil Business Ghani Board,” stating that this would facilitate licensing for the Teli community in the mustard oil business. The establishment of the board would strengthen the Teli community’s economic position and ensure better family livelihoods. The MLA also demanded the reactivation of the Mati Kala Board, established by the previous BJP government, for the benefit of the Prajapati community.
Expressing concern over the state of panchayats, MLA Purnima Sahu said that panchayats are the strongest unit of the democratic system. “Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Gram Swaraj remains relevant today, but for the past few years, development work has stalled due to the lack of funding for panchayats,” she said, and urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren to immediately release State Finance Commission funds to the panchayats so that the stalled development of villages and panchayats can resume.
Sahu also demanded adequate compensation for public representatives in the event of their sudden death or accident during their tenure. Citing the Kerala model, she said that Jharkhand’s village headmen should be paid a minimum honorarium of 30,000 rupees.
