Following the sudden demise of minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu, the strength of the Hemant Soren Cabinet has fallen from 10 to nine. The government had faced a similar vacancy in August 2025 after the death of Ghatshila MLA and then education minister Ramdas Soren. With another ministerial berth now vacant, speculation is rife over who will fill the post. A key question is whether the government will repeat the formula adopted in Madhupur and Dumri by entrusting political responsibilities to a family member of the deceased leader, or opt for a new face from Giridih. Under the Constitution, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers.
Lok Adalat settles 25L disputes involving Rs 1K cr
A total of 24,99,985 cases in dispute were settled involving a total amount of Rs 9,64,05,39,705 during a National Lok Adalat organised by Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) across the state on Saturday. The cases settled included 23,39,503 pre-litigation matters and 1,60,482 pending cases. The state-level National Lok Adalat was inaugurated at Dhanbad by Jharkhand High Court Judge and JHALSA Executive Chairman Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad. The inaugural programme was streamed online across the state, enabling people to connect with National Lok Adalat proceedings held in different districts.
Task force to check illegal mining in state
District-level task force cells will soon be set up across Jharkhand to crack down on illegal mining, while checkpoints will be established at various locations to monitor the transportation of illegally mined minerals. The decision was taken at a state-level task force meeting held on Saturday headed by Mines and Geology Department Secretary Arva Rajkamal. The meeting also discussed coordinated action among departments involved in mining-related matters, action as per rules on complaints received through the ‘Khan Prahari’ mobile application, and revenue collection targets achieved up to August in the 2026-27 financial year.
Mukesh Ranjan
Our correspondent in Jharkhand
mukesh.r@newindianexpress.com
