In first cabinet decision, Hemant Soren govt drops Pathalgadi sedition cases

In its first decision after assuming office, Hemant Soren led coalition government in Jharkhand on Sunday dropped cases against the accused in Pathalgadi-- a separatist movement, and against those who were booked by the BJP government for opposing the proposed amendments to the Chhota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act.

Cabinet secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said the first cabinet meeting under Soren also cleared the creation of fast track courts to hear cases of rapes and other crimes against women and girlchild. It also gave its nod to additional posts of judicial officers.

The BJP which is now the main opposition party in the state has slammed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led government’s decision on Pathalgadi.

ALSO WATCH | Hemant Soren takes oath as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand

“It is not appreciable at all to let off all the accused involved in Pathalgadi movement. Real conspirators and instigators, who fuelled this separatist movement, should face the legal proceedings,” said BJP’s state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.

Some of tribal belts in the state specially Khunti district had recently witnessed the worst ever separatist movement, which is known locally as Pathalgadi.

Pathalgadi is a practice of raising stone plaques at village outskirts with warnings and declarations inscribed on it. The plaques declared village gram sabha as the only sovereign authority and banned the entry of outsiders in the village. The movement was finally quelled after the arrest of its leaders.

Reportedly, there were more than 75 FIRs registered in different police stations in Khunti district against proponents of this movement including nearly 10,000 unknowns.

The then Raghubar Das government’s decision to amend the tenancy laws in 2017 also saw widespread protests. The Governor had returned the proposal with suggestions leading to the BJP withdrawing it.

In other decisions, the cabinet cleared immediate filling up of vacancies in the government offices along with speedy disbursement of dues to para-teachers, Anganwari workers and student scholarships.

The state cabinet also decided to hold a three-day assembly session from January 6 and appointed JMM legislator Stephen Marandi the pro-tem speaker, who will administer oaths to the newly elected members of the fifth assembly, said Singh.

The Governor’s address will be held on the second day followed by the election of a full-term assembly speaker and the meeting of the business advisory committee. The second supplementary budget of the fiscal year 2019-20 will also be tabled on the second day.

The House will debate the thanksgiving motion to the Governor’s address and debate the second supplementary budget on the concluding day of the session.

The cabinet also decided to distribute blankets and woolen caps to the poor and authorized the deputy commissioners for immediate action.