Call it the effect of election year or settling down of issues like para teachers’ strike, the legislators of Jharkhand State Assembly finally came down to work in the House after passage of several sessions in the state of imbroglio on the second day of Budget Session here on Friday.

The session saw the MLAs finally raising issues of people’s interest in their constituencies on the day when the demands for the third Supplementary Budget were presented before the House just ahead of the Budget for the next financial year is to be put up in the Assembly.

As the day began with Question Hour in the House, a number of MLAs came up with issues including entry of outsiders in High School teachers’ recruitment, inclusion of Ghatwar caste in Scheduled Tribe, land acquisition and displacement etc. They tried to bring work adjournment motion on few issues but Speaker Dinesh Oraon rejected the demand.

Earlier, before the House could assemble Congress legislator Sukhdeo Bhagat protested outside the Assembly with colleagues seeking immediate stay on the JPSC mains examination scheduled to begin on January 28. He said that when the matter was subjudice in the Jharkhand High Court how the process of examination can continue with distribution of admit cards. This makes it clear that there is some sort of corruption in the examination being conducted and even Minister Amar Bauri had said that one has to pay bribe at JPSC, he added.

During the Question Hour Sindri MLA Phoolchand Mandal raised the issue of poor implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the State. Ruling party MLA and Chief Whip of BJP RK Kishore also supported him and sought a reply from Health

Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi as to how many people were benefitted by the scheme between September and December.

The Health Minister got baffled with the questions and remarked on Kishore that he should not be in such haste as it will not make him a Minister in the Government. Later, Kishore said that he asked the question as an MLA and the Health Minister only knows what connection of Ayushman Bharat scheme has with him becoming a Minister.

The Government also laid before Assembly the third supplementary budget for FY 2018-19 in the tune of Rs 2,239 crore, out of which maximum demands have been placed for Rural Development, Urban Development and Housing, Health and Family Welfare and Energy departments.

The issue of displacement was raised by legislators form Opposition and ruling parties with equal intensity. BJP MLA Viranchi Narayan said that the government’s reply on the issue was not sufficient and he sought a Displacement committee on the matter.  However, Minister Amar Bauri said that the Government has already formed 3-tier panels to find solutions to the problem.

Later, replying for the Government on Governor’s speech, Chief Minister Raghubar Das congratulated the legislators for working in true spirit of democracy. He said that the Governor in her speech has given different directions for the Government for better functioning and the government will follow the same. The CM said that several MLAs have also criticised the works of the Government, but they welcome the criticism with positive vibes so that the true sense of democracy could prevail.

The CM also talked about various works of the government undertaken in last four years including public welfare schemes, skill development of youths, initiatives for tribal population and primitive tribal groups, improvement in law and order etc. “I am happy to say in the House that the people of the State are now alert and aware to safeguard their interests. We always welcome discussions in the House because it is a sign of a healthy democracy,” he said.

“We have not promised a moon to the people of the State. We will provide them support, food and roof for the poor. And, we accept that we have lacunas but we will improve and do better. Today the strike of para teachers, MGNREGA workers, JHASA has ended. These are good news to share will all and many more will come in future,” said the CM.

The House was adjourned by the Speaker till January 21, when the remaining works of January 19 will also be dealt with apart from the schedule of the day.