RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 16: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) today reiterated its commitment to take action in the matter of corruption having taken place during the tenure of the Raghubar Das government but mumbled when asked about the deadline.
The situation came during a press conference of the party, which its general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya had organised to give his reaction to the statement given during the press conference of BJP state president and Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash on Sunday.
“Nahi Bata Sakte,” JMM spokesperson Bhattacharya replied when asked whether he can quantify ‘Jaldi’, which his party is using as a deadline for taking action in the matter of scam that took place during the tenure of Das since it came in power in December 2019.
When informed Bhattacharya regarding the deadline of May 21 given by senior legislator Saryu Roy to initiate proper action in the matter of the Meinhardt scam failing which he had threatened to knock on the door of the high court, Bhattacharya parried the reply. When going into details he said Roy is a sensitive leader and is competent to take action at his level.
Earlier, Bhattacharya countered all the allegations levelled by the BJP against the JMM government.
BJP state president Prakash on Sunday had alleged a JSMDC officer of issuing a mining lease in the name of his wife. On which, the JMM spokesperson said it was done when Das’ government was in power. He said the application for the lease was given on December 6, 2018 and the lease was granted on March 4, 2019. He said registration work was completed by July 19, 2019.
Regarding allegations of issuing mining leases in the name of close relatives of Palamu DC, Bhattacharya said such practice was started during the BJP rule and it is open to all how the bureaucrats during the BJP rule misused their power to benefit their near and dear ones. When asked to be specific, he said the JMM does not believe in attacking below the belt.
On the allegation of increasing the holding tax, the JMM leader said it was the BJP that increased the holding tax for the first time disproportionately while the JMM government has levied holding tax in such a way that 80000 poor people have got benefitted.
He, on the occasion, said how the party gave relief in water tax saying 5000 litre water is being provided free of cost every month.
On BJP legislature party chief Babulal Marandi’s allegation of saving corrupt bureaucrats, the JMM spokesperson asked to be specific before saying all those IAS officers who are principal secretaries used to be deputy commissioners when the Marandi government was in power.
