In a fiery exchange at the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly’s ongoing budget session, Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh defended her department’s grants amid opposition onslaughts. The eighth day saw accusations flying as BJP and allies grilled the Hemant Soren government on implementation lapses and graft.
Singh positioned village upliftment as priority numero uno, detailing PESA’s rollout as tribal empowerment armor. Gram sabhas gain teeth for resource protection, with flexible venue options and women-centric staffing boosts. MGNREGA’s evolution to BVG Ramji delivered 10 crore work days, she boasted, but lashed out at Delhi for stalling payments—thousands of crores pending alongside Finance Commission shares.
Abua housing crossed 1.90 lakh units, funds flowing steadily per tranche. Women’s SHGs emerged heroes, greening 2.72 crore trees for eco-economic gains. BJP’s Pradeep Prasad dismantled this narrative, exposing glacial spending: a meager Rs 367 crore from Rs 9,500 crore last year, with similar woes in other rural verticals.
He derided fresh budgets sans old expenditure, invoking raid hauls of cash and bling against officials. JMM’s Jairam Mahto spotlighted rural-urban divides in costs, advocating citizen inputs for infra. Amit Yadav targeted delays in housing schemes under BVG Ramji and GRMJ.
Echoing calls, Congress and CPI(ML) lawmakers demanded PESA tweaks, robust gram sabhas, and swift project closures. The debate crystallized divides: government’s self-congratulation on rural strides versus opposition’s audit of accountability, leaving implementation under scanner.