Ranchi:  The ST Morcha of the Jharkhand BJP has demanded for a NHRC probe into the fake encounter which took place in Gainakhand forest of Piri village under Garu blocks of the Latehar district on June 12.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here state ST Morcha president Shiv Shankar Oraon said that a high level team of the party had visited the village on June 19 on a fact finding mission during which Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon was also present.
He said that in the course of fact finding it emerged that the security forces had deliberately shot dead a villager who were innocent locals and not Maoists as claimed by the forces. He said that as tradition a day before the Sarhul festival the people had gone to hunt inside the forest.
Oraon claimed that despite raising their hands and claiming that they were villagers the security personnel opened fire in which a person died. He claimed that the forces shot bullets from close range into the head of deceased.
He said that instead of taking concert action the local administration was doing an eye wash on the issue. He said that legal action should be taken on the jawans of Jharkhand Jaguar responsible for the act and a compensation of Rs 20 lakh be provided to the family.
The BJP leader said that since the widow of the deceased is intermediate therefore she be given a government job. He said that the ST Morcha will also provide financial assistance to the family.

(Agencies)

Ranchi: Agriculture Minister Badal on Sunday said that the state government is also concerned over the future of children studying in the private schools. Virtually addressing the state level meeting of private schools and children welfare association he said that he himself has been regularly holding discussions over the issue with Chief Minister Hemant Soren and other cabinet colleagues. He said that centre and scientists are working to develop a vaccine for the children going to schools.
The minister said that if vaccination of all the children going to a particular coaching institution is complete some relaxations might be considered. He said that the schools are trying their best to provide online education to the children. Badal said that apart from the future of the children studying in these private schools the government was also aware of the problems of the teachers and other staffs working in the schools and is taking steps to solve their problems.

Ranchi:  The state government is planning to once again give an extension of six months to the tenure of panchayats for which it will bring an ordinance. Talking to reporters here Rural Development Minister Aalamgir Aalam said that to give an extension to the tenure of the panchayats the government is planning to bring an ordinance. He said that in the month of December 2020 due to Coronavirus since the panchayat elections could not be held therefore the government decided to extend their tenure by 6 months which is going to end on July 15.

However since the pandemic was on therefore it was not possible to conduct the elections in such a scenario to make sure that the development of the panchayats is not impacted and works continues it has been decided to bring an ordinance so that their tenure can be extended, he said. The minister said that when the situation normalises the panchayat elections will be held in the last week of December. The tenure of the Panchayati Raj bodies had ended in January 2021 itself however due to the pandemic the work was handed over to the panchayat level committees. Over cabinet expansion he said that it was the right of the Chief Minister and as far as he was concerned at the moment there was no such plans.

(Agencies)

Ranchi: State Congress Chief and Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon said that talks over cabinet expansion or reshuffle are all baseless.

Talking to reporters at the airport here after his arrival from New Delhi he said that for personal reasons he had gone to New Delhi and it was a mere coincidence that the Chief Minister was also in the capital during the same period.

He said that inclusion or expansion of the cabinet is a prerogative of the Chief Minister and he will decide accordingly but as far as the Congress party is concerned the 12th cabinet post should be given to the party but ultimately it will be the call of the Chief Minister.

Over the issue of boards and corporations he said that due to the pandemic the issue has been set aside but as and when things will normalise the process will be completed. He said that the state government did a good job to tackle the second wave of Coronavirus and soon more relaxations will be announced.

Over his meeting with senior leaders of the party in Delhi he said that whenever he visits the national capital he meets the senior leaders and similarly this time also he met AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal during which he was detailed about the works done by the state government in the pandemic.

(EW News Desk)