Jharkhand govt committed to solve problems of rural people, says CM

No previous government had bothered to pay heed to the problems of the rural people since Jharkhand was created two decades ago.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said his government is committed to solve problems of the rural people of the state.

Soren, also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, alleged that the people of the mineral-rich region of the state remained poor because of the central government's policies.

He asserted that the ''Aapke Adhikar, Aapki Sarkar, Aapke Dwar'' (Your Rights, Your Government, Your Door) programme aimed at bringing government plans to the doorstep of beneficiaries is a huge success. ''No previous government had bothered to pay heed to the problems of the rural people since Jharkhand was created two decades ago. This government is committed to solve their problems,'' Soren said.

On the success of ''Aapke Adhikar, Aapki Sarkar, Aapke Dwar'' programme launched on November 16, he said 2.80 lakh of the five lakh complaints received under it have been resolved.

North Chotanagpur division comprising Hazaribag, Bokaro, Koderma, Ramgarh, Giridih, Chatra and Dhanbad districts is a mineral-rich region particularly having an abundance of coal reserve but the people are poor, unemployed and starved owing to Central government's policies, he claimed.

He accused the central government of ignoring the interests of those who have become homeless due to developmental projects to safeguard those of the corporate sector.

Alleging that many companies prefer outsiders over locals while hiring people, Soren said his government would not tolerate such an approach. Stating that a congenial atmosphere has been created to attract investments, the chief minister said big industries have shown interest to invest, which would create employment opportunities in the state.

A big textile project will come up very soon in Bokaro at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore, he said.

With a view to providing self-employment to the youth, he said the government will give Rs five lakh loan for opening eateries, poultry farms and dairy farms and create market for their products in the state, Soren said.