Ranchi, Mar 14 (PTI) Jharkhand Excise minister Yogendra Mahato on Saturday announced in the Assembly the constitution of a task force in each district of the state to crack down on narcotics and drug trade.
Responding to queries of several lawmakers about rising drug addiction among youths and teenagers in the state, Mahato said, “The government is making all efforts to curb the drug trade within the state, a special task force would be constituted in every district, and a rigorous campaign would be launched against illegal drugs.
BJP MLA Roshan Lal Choudhary alleged 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 surge in criminal incidents,” Choudhary said.
He said, “Around 2,396 cases were registered under the NDPS Act in Jharkhand between 2019 and 2023. Furthermore, a subsequent increase in the district-wise number of cases has been recorded between 2023 and 2026.
The BJP MLA also said that recent seizures of drugs worth crores of rupees in Hazaribagh and neighbouring police station areas also point to the deep-rooted presence of drug mafia within the state.
Shweta Singh of Congress, Umashankar Rajak of JMM and Arup Chatterjee of CPI(ML) raised the demand for displaced persons due to the construction of SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) and demanded the formation of six panchayats by amalgamating the 19 villages displaced during the construction of the steel plant.
Chatterjee pointed out that, following the construction of BSL, 15 panchayats had previously been constituted by amalgamating the displaced villages.
He demanded that the Panchayati Raj department must immediately proceed with the formation of six new panchayats.
Panchayati Raj minister Deepika Pandey Singh stated that the specific area for which the formation of a panchayat is being demanded consists of land originally acquired for BSL.
“A meeting regarding this issue has already been held with Bokaro Deputy Commissioner (DC) and BSL management. The state government is currently making efforts to reclaim the land in question from BSL. Once the land is successfully reclaimed, the panchayats will be established in that area,” the minister said.
Congress MLA Shweta Singh also emphasised that the area where the formation of these six panchayats is being demanded is home to a population of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people.
JMM MLA Umakant Rajak claimed that while the Ritudih panchayat had been established, the majority of its residents are unauthorised 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 panchayats. She gave assurances 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 following the conclusion of 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, currently, the government has no plans to return any acquired surplus land.
Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi criticised the treasury bench MLAs for protesting against 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. PTI ANB RG
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