Ranchi, March 18 – Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren stated on Wednesday that the government has prioritized ensuring social security for every citizen, providing food to every household, ensuring quality education for children, and improving healthcare facilities for all.
He said in the assembly that his government has made every effort to safeguard the rights of marginalized, tribal, and indigenous people, and has stood by them.
"We have set our priorities as ensuring social security for every citizen, food in every home, quality education for children, and better healthcare facilities for all. These are all the main objectives of every welfare government," Soren said on the last day of the budget session.
The CM said that the state's budget size was Rs 86,000 crore when his first alliance government came to power, and it has now reached Rs 1.58 lakh crore (fiscal 2026-27), an increase of 85 per cent.
"This is the result of the government's better management plan. Jharkhand was in 13th position in financial management in the country in 2018, and now it is in 3rd position. Even NITI-Aayog appreciates Jharkhand's financial management," Soren said.
The chief minister stated that a series of welfare schemes have been launched and many are in the pipeline to develop people in the state.
He claimed that the state government's 'Maiyan Samman Yojana', a financial assistance scheme for women, has become an example, and it is being discussed at the national level.
"Over 50 lakh women are benefiting from the scheme, and Rs 20 crore has been transferred to their accounts so far. The government has allocated the maximum share of its budget of Rs 34,000 crore to women and children for the next fiscal," he said.
"We are working on a scheme to provide capital incentives of up to Rs 5 crore for starting micro-enterprises," the CM added.
Speaking about universal pension schemes, Soren said that only 12-13 lakh people used to receive pensions when his government came to power in 2019, and now the number of beneficiaries has increased to 36 lakh in the state.
The CM said that for the development of education, 100 new CM Schools of Excellence, girls' schools, the Jharkhand Institute of Technology, 12 new degree colleges, engineering colleges, a mega library with a capacity of 500 seats in every district headquarters, and the Dr Bhimraon University in Chatra will be established.
"In line with the ideals of Dishom Guru (former CM Shibu Soren) and his thinking on higher education, we will launch the GuruJi Sustainable Scholarship Scheme. Under it, a total of 10 young people from various categories will be supported for PhD programs every year," he said.
Assistance will also be provided for research in prestigious institutions based in London, including Oxford University and Cambridge University, the CM added.
Strengthening the mutual partnership between the UK and Jharkhand, an extensive 'knowledge corridor' will be developed for the youth. Under this initiative, the government will send 50 students from the state's deprived and marginalized communities each year for higher education through overseas scholarships, Soren said.
He said a Guruji Memorial will also be established, which will be developed as an inclusive tribal-cultural campus.
The megalith and monolith sites in 35 locations in the state will be developed, besides the fossil park in Sahibganj, the CM said.
Soren further added that the Jharkhand Rajya Sulabh Sahayata Yojana will be introduced to help migrant labourers working in different parts of the country and abroad. In addition, centers for Jharkhand migrant workers will be established in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
Condemning the VB-G RAM G scheme, he said that the Jharkhand assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday to continue with MGNREGA.
"MGNREGA has been a lifeline for crores of labourers in Jharkhand. In the country, Jharkhand's labourers were receiving the lowest wages. When no efforts were made to increase the wage rates, we increased it further," Soren said.
He claimed that the new changes that have come in the new Act will definitely have a negative impact on the lives of the poor and the deprived.
"It will increase migration and malnutrition, against which we were struggling," Soren said, adding that the state's Rs 1,000 crore is pending with the Centre under MGNREGA.
He also lashed out at the Centre over the alleged shortage of LPG in the country.
The budget session of the assembly, which started on February 18, was adjourned sine die on Wednesday by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato.