In first cabinet decision, Soren drops Pathalgadi sedition cases
Newly elected Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s first cabinet decision on Sunday decided to drop all cases registered against people during the Pathalgadi movement in 2017-2018 as well as against people booked in the protests after the former Raghubar Das government attempted to tweak Chotanagpur and Santhal Paragna tenancy Acts.
In his first cabinet decision after being sworn in as the new Jharkhand chief minister on Sunday (December 29), Hemant Soren dropped all cases registered against people during the Pathalgadi movement in 2017-2018.
The Pathalgadi movement began in 2017-18, when stone plaques came up outside villages in the district, declaring the gram sabha as the only sovereign authority. The plaques had inscriptions from the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled areas) Act or PESA, which the tribals quoted to claim their independence from the state and assert their rights and culture.
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The first cabinet also decided to convene a three-day session of the assembly from January 6. Senior JMM MLA Stephen Marandi, who was named as pro-tem speaker, will conduct the first House till a regular Speaker is elected. Governor Droupadi Murmu will deliver the inaugural address at 11.30 am, an official release said.
Chaired by Soren and attended by three of his ministers who took oath earlier in the day, the cabinet also decided to clear arrears of para-teachers, contractual employees, anganwadi workers and student scholarships.
Directions have been issued to fill-up vacancies in government departments, the release said, adding, fast track courts would to be set up in every district to speed up trials of cases relating to sexual offences.
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Asked who would be the Speaker of the assembly, a Congress leader said, “Besides Marandi, former minister and senior Congress leader Rajendra Prasad Singh appears to be in the race for Speaker’s post.”
JMM leader Hemant Soren on Sunday took oath as Jharkhand chief minister for a second time at a grand ceremony attended by a galaxy of opposition leaders and regional satraps.
Former assembly speaker and Congress leader Alamgir Alam, Jharkhand PCC president Rameshwar Oraon and RJD MLA Satyanand Bhokta were the other three ministers who took oath after Soren.
