Ranchi, Sep 8: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday informed the Assembly that he will lead an all-party delegation from the state to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month to demand a caste census.
Hemant Soren announced that a resolution will be tabled in the House against the new farm laws and an assembly committee will be set up to investigate several issues including illegal transfer of tribal lands.
“Every caste is demanding reservation based on their numbers. However, no proposal could be sent to the Centre for a caste census. I have sought the PM”s time to discuss the issue along with an all-party nine-member delegation from Jharkhand between September 12 and 20,” Soren said during the Question Hour.
Noting that his government supports the demand for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, he said that the issue will be discussed with the prime minister.
“There is a consensus among the ruling and opposition parties on providing 27 per cent reservation to OBCs. We will send a proposal to the Centre on the issue,” the chief minister said.
Soren said that farmers have been agitating against the new agriculture laws for a year now and a resolution should be passed in the assembly against the new legislations.
Asserting that his government is committed to protecting the rights of tribals and locals of the state, he said that the employment policy will soon be crystal clear.
“I am committed to providing employment to moolvasi (original inhabitants) and tribals,” Soren said.
He said that though there are many provisions for the transfer of tribal lands, several instances have come to the fore of grabbing of such properties and illegal construction on those.
“People staying in such houses don”t have any papers. The state government is serious on the issue and a Vidhan Sabha committee will be formed to investigate these,” he said.
The committee will investigate how much land has been transferred in each district in violation of several legislations including the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, Soren said, responding to a question raised by MLA Lobin Hembram.