Previous ‘double engine govt’ looted Jharkhand with both hands: Soren

Ranchi, Dec 9 (PTI) Targeting the BJP, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday alleged that the previous "double-engine government" looted the state with "both hands".

Address a public gathering in Deoghar, he claimed the previous BJP government did nothing for farmers, tribal and women.

"When our opposition could not loot the state with one hand in 13-14 years, the double-engine government started the work of looting the state with both hands in 2014," he alleged.

Soren said his government was working sensitively to provide various welfare schemes to the people of the state.

"Till 2019, only 15 lakh people in the state used to get pension. Today, a total of 60 lakh people have been given the right to pension. Similarly, only eight lakh farmers were provided Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) till 2019. But, after the formation of this government, 22 lakh farmers have got the benefit of it," he said.

Jharkhand is the only state in the country where universal pension is being provided to all above 60, he claimed.

Soren said his government was working to create employment opportunities in the state, in both the private and the public sector.

Around 50,000 youths have got jobs in the private sector, he said, stating, "About 40,000-50,000 recruitments will be made by the government soon." He claimed that the opposition BJP was hatching conspiracies to defame his government.

"Earlier, they used to say 'I will neither eat nor let you eat'. Today, these people say that they will neither work nor will they allow anyone to work," he said.

At the programme, the CM laid the foundation stone of 64 projects worth Rs 255.54 crore, and distributed benefits of government schemes among the people. PTI