Ranchi, March 14 Jharkhand Excise Minister Yogendra Mahato announced in the Assembly on Saturday the formation of task forces in each district of the state to combat narcotics and drug trafficking.
Responding to queries from several lawmakers about rising drug addiction among youth and teenagers in the state, Mahato said, "The government is making every effort to curb drug trafficking within the state. Special task forces will be established in each district, and a comprehensive campaign will be launched against illegal drugs."
BJP MLA Roshan Lal Choudhary alleged the growing trade of brown sugar and heroin in the state, especially in Hazaribagh and Ramgarh districts.
"Drug addiction among the youth is on the rise, and the region is witnessing a corresponding increase in criminal incidents," Choudhary said.
He stated that approximately 2,396 cases were registered under the NDPS Act in Jharkhand between 2019 and 2023. Furthermore, there has been a subsequent increase in the number of cases registered in districts between 2023 and 2026.
The BJP MLA also mentioned recent seizures of drugs worth crores of rupees in Hazaribagh and surrounding police station areas, highlighting the deep-rooted presence of the drug mafia in the state.
Congress MLA Shweta Singh, JMM MLA Umashankar Rajak, and CPI(ML) MLA Arup Chatterjee demanded compensation and resettlement for people displaced due to the construction of the SAIL's Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), and proposed the formation of six village councils by merging the 19 villages affected during the plant's construction.
Chatterjee pointed out that 15 village councils had previously been established after the construction of BSL.
He demanded that the Panchayati Raj department should immediately proceed with the formation of six new village councils.
Panchayati Raj Minister Deepika Pandey Singh stated that the area for which the formation of a village council is being demanded is the land originally acquired for BSL.
"A meeting has already been held with the Bokaro Deputy Commissioner (DC) and BSL management on this issue. The state government is currently working to reclaim the land from BSL. Once the land is successfully reclaimed, the village councils will be established in that area," the minister said.
Congress MLA Shweta Singh also emphasized that the area where these six village councils are being demanded is home to approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people.
JMM MLA Umakant Rajak claimed that while the Ritudih village council has been established, the majority of its residents are unauthorized occupants, while the genuinely displaced persons—who are the rightful beneficiaries—are currently being denied their entitlements.
The Panchayati Raj Minister agreed to find a viable solution for the establishment of the village councils. She assured that she would soon hold a meeting with the local deputy commissioner and other relevant officials to address this matter and devise a way forward.
Congress MLA Mamta Devi alleged that a private construction firm had done substandard work on the Gola-Muri road and had left various portions of the project incomplete.
In response, the minister-in-charge, Sudivya Kumar, announced in the House that a team would be dispatched to inspect the company's work after the Budget Session.
Responding to a "Calling Attention Motion" moved by BJP MLA Naveen Jaiswal regarding displaced persons of PSU Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), minister-in-charge Sudivya Kumar said that genuine "raiyats" (landowners) would be relocated to the 400 housing units constructed for the displaced persons before the next Assembly session.
The minister also clarified that the government has no current plans to return any acquired surplus land.
Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi criticized the treasury bench MLAs for protesting against the LPG cylinder crisis and asserted that there is no actual shortage of gas cylinders or petrol in the state; rather, an artificial crisis is being deliberately manufactured.
"The government must clarify how many gas cylinders were previously supplied to the state and what the current consumption levels are," said Marandi.
He alleged that certain individuals are intentionally creating this artificial crisis to enable their close associates to engage in black marketing. Citing an example, he brought up the case from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, noting that 55 filled gas cylinders were recovered from the residence of Samajwadi Party leader Abdul Rehan.
Earlier, the opposition BJP lawmaker staged a demonstration carrying placards in front of the Assembly gate, raising slogans against the Hemant Soren-led government for the water crisis.
Holding saffron-coloured placards, the MLAs accused the government of failing in its water management duties. They claimed that the people of the state are yearning for water, while the government's 'Nal-Jal' (Tap Water) scheme has remained confined merely to paper.
The protesting legislators alleged that a "promise to install taps in every household" had been made, but the reality on the ground is starkly different. The opposition party claimed that the scheme has been plagued by massive financial irregularities and scams, necessitating an impartial investigation.