RANCHI: Gandey MLA and wife of Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday claimed that the Jharkhand Government’s ambitious scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana,’ was conceptualized while her husband was in jail. The scheme, which aims to provide Rs 1,000 per month to women aged 21-49, was reportedly planned by Hemant Soren during his five-month incarceration related to a money laundering case tied to a land scam.
Kalpana Soren revealed this while taking stock of the camps set up for registration of ‘Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana in her Assembly constituency, Gandey.
“It is a brain child of Hemant Soren Ji and was conceptualized and planned while he was put in jail for nearly five months,” said Kalpana Soren. She described the scheme as a “gift from a brother to his sisters across the state.”
Addressing a group of women in Gandey, Kalpana Soren acknowledged some technical issues with the registration process but assured that they would be resolved soon. “Chief Minister Hemant Soren is personally overseeing the registration process,” she added. She also mentioned that special camps will now be organized until August 15 to facilitate the registration of women for the scheme, extending the original deadline of August 10.
The registration for the ‘Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana’ began on Monday, with women across the state queuing for hours to submit their forms. The forms clearly state that the payments will be credited to bank accounts after December 2024, well after the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, the BJP has criticized the scheme, accusing the government of using it as a political tool to deceive voters ahead of the Assembly elections. They compared it to Congress’s pre-Lok Sabha poll promise of Rs 8,000 per year to women, which they claim was never implemented. The BJP argued that while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government is currently collecting registration forms, the promised payments will only be made after December 2024, suggesting this is a strategy to secure votes with a promise that may not be fulfilled if the government remains in power.
Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri, condemned the ruling alliance, alleging that they are using false promises to manipulate voters and create a deceptive image in the run-up to the elections.