Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has announced jobs for 35,000 youths, listed his government’s achievements in providing houses to the poor and financial assistance to women and taken a dig at the Opposition for putting “obstacles” in the state’s progress.

Addressing the Independence Day event in Ranchi on Thursday, Soren said recruitments to 35,000 posts would be completed before October.

“Providing employment to the youth of the state is the first priority of our government. Our government has made thousands of recruitments. The recruitment process is going on for 35,000 posts, including excise department constables, assistant professors and women supervisors through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission, which will be completed by October 2024,” Soren said.

The JMM leader said more than two lakh young men and women had got employment in the private sector by taking advantage of the training programmes run by the state
government.

Criticising the Opposition, Soren said without taking any names: “Anti-development elements tried to create obstacles in our path, but they could not succeed. We have shown that if there is faith in the heart and honesty in intentions, no power can bow us down. We are trying to fulfill every promise made to the public. Today the atmosphere of Jharkhand has changed. Dalits, tribals, backward people do not feel helpless. A new ray of hope is visible on every face.”

Soren has often in the past during public rallies accused the BJP of trying to topple the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government ever since it was formed in December 2019, either using federal agencies or the Raj Bhawan.

The chief minister, listing the achievements of his government, said three-room concrete houses had been given to the poor through the Abua Awas Yojana.

“Nearly 35 lakh needy people have been linked to the pension scheme. Twenty lakh additional people are being given ration and more than 57 lakh people are being given clothes twice a year. To provide relief to farmers burdened with debt, our government has decided to waive agricultural loans up to Rs 2 lakh,” said Soren.

He said that making women self-reliant was the first priority of the government.

“We have started the Mukhya Mantri Mainya Samman Yojana. Women between 21 and 50 years will be sent financial assistance of Rs 1,000 every month to their bank accounts. Around 48 lakh women of Jharkhand will benefit from this scheme and get the first payment on Raksha Bandhan (August 19),” Soren said.

Earlier in the day, Soren, who was in jail for five months in connection with an alleged money-laundering case linked to a land scam, had recited a poem he had written in jail.