Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren fulfilled his 2021 promise of allotting plots for women hockey players, Salima Tete and Nikki Pradhan, in Ranchi on Wednesday.
In August 2021, Hemant had announced of giving land parcels to both the hockey players after Indian team’s stellar performance in the Tokyo Olympics.
It took nearly four years for the completion of the documents and both the players were handed land parcels of 3750 square feet in Harmu residential colony in Ranchi.
Years ago, former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda had extended similar benefits to legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni and ace archer Deepika Kumari in the same colony.
Salima Tete, who hails from Barki Chhapar village in Simdega district, still has family members living in a kutcha house. Recently, she has managed to construct a small concrete home near her ancestral house.
During the Tokyo Olympics 2023, Salima’s family did not even own a television to watch her play, prompting Hemant to gift them a 43-inch smart TV and an inverter.
Nikki Pradhan’s journey is equally inspiring. A native of Hesal village in Khunti district, Nikki’s family faced severe financial hardships. Her father, a constable, earned a modest salary, and as a child, Nikki had to work alongside her mother in the fields. She began playing hockey with a stick crafted from bamboo peels, as her family could not afford to buy her proper equipment. Today, her village home still lacks a concrete roof.
“Today is a day of excitement as two promising hockey player daughters of the state are being honoured for bringing laurels to the entire country with their skill and ability,” said Soren after handing over the land documents.
He added: “Today, we are fulfilling the promise of giving them lands to make their own house in Ranchi. I would also like to announce that the state government will provide ₹35 lakh each to these two players under the sports policy to build their homes.”
Both the players expressed their gratitude to the chief minister and hoped that the government continues to support players.
“The honour being given to these daughters today will become a symbol of hope and opportunity for other daughters and youth of the state. Inspired by them, other players of the state will work to improve their skills and performance,” the chief minister said.
“Earlier, Jharkhand was known only for its mineral wealth. But we believe that the state should also be known for its human resources and star players, which is why our government has formulated many important policies to provide a better platform to the youth and players here,” Soren added.
Education awards
Jharkhand government on Wednesday announced awards for teachers, students, administrators and institutions doing commendable work in the field of higher education.
The Jharkhand State Higher Education Award was approved by the state cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Additional reporting by PTI