Bokaro: In a question raised by BJP’s Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan in the assembly on Tuesday, state minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur answering on behalf of interim education minister Hemant Soren said three dozen school buildings owned by Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) are shut and the government cannot do anything in these buildings as they are owned by the PSU.
At a time when there is a high demand to pursue higher studies among students and Bokaro is an education hub, the shut schools should be utilised, said Narayan in the assembly. All the buildings are sprawling and have ample space. “Lack of proper maintenance has led the buildings to turn into ruins. The district lacks proper educational institutions for higher education,” he said.
Ranchi: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday announced that the auction of sand ghats in the state for mining will be a complete online affair from next month.
Soren made the announcement after he rose to speak in the Assembly to respond to the opposition’s claims that the incumbent government was protecting sand mafias across the state.
Attacking the BJP lawmakers sitting in the opposition benches, Soren claimed illegal mining, which was causing the state’s treasuries to bleed, was overlooked by the previous government led by the BJP. “The BJP is only concerned about grabbing power,” he added.
Ranchi: As media circles remained abuzz with speculations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be vaccinated for Covid-19 along with chief ministers of various states in the second phase of the mass inoculation drive, the state s health department said there are no plans yet to inoculate VIPs in Jharkhand.
“We have not received any such instructions or guidelines from the Centre as of now,” health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni told TOI, adding that the department will adhere to the guidelines and SOPs on targeted beneficiaries in the second phase forwarded by the Centre. As per guidelines, frontline workers such as police, homeguard and paramilitary personnel will be administered the vaccine in the second phase.
Patna: COVID-19 has badly hampered the functioning of the government in Jharkhand state in the past five months with ministers coming under the grip of coronavirus at frequent intervals. So far, half the cabinet in Jharkhand has been affected by COVID-19.
Of the 11 ministers in Jharkhand, six have been infected by COVID-19. Minority welfare minister Haji Hussain Ansari, 73, succummed to the disease, while education minister Jagarnath Mahto had to undergo lung transplant at a hospital in Chennai after COVID-19 infection severely damaged his lung.
53-year-old education minister remained on life support system for 21 days in the local hospital and ultimately had to be shifted to Chennai. He is still under the observation of doctors at the hospital. The state government recently released Rs5 million as first instalment for Mahto’s treatment.