Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: In a significant development, the Jharkhand Rural Development Department has terminated the services of 250 employees working under the Cluster Facilitation Project (CFP), citing the lack of a formal extension from the central government.
The CFP, launched under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), aimed to improve livelihood standards and agricultural productivity in rural areas by aligning multiple central schemes with grassroots efforts.
23 districts, 51 blocks impacted
As per the official notice, experts were deployed across 51 blocks in 23 districts under the project, with implementation facilitated through 17 partner organizations. These institutions had signed formal MoUs with the Jharkhand government for project delivery and manpower engagement.
Centre yet to confirm project extension
Though the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, had earlier extended the CFP till March 31, 2025, the state government claimed that no official communication regarding the continuation of the project has been received yet.
Due to this administrative uncertainty, the Rural Development Department issued termination letters and revoked all MoUs signed with partner organizations.
Possibility of reinstatement if Centre responds
The department has added a clause stating that if the Centre communicates its approval for project extension, the previous MoUs will be reinstated and the terminated positions may be reactivated.
The sudden job loss has left hundreds of field-level experts and project staff in limbo, awaiting clarity from the central government.
