RANCHI: ‘Jai Sri Ram’ echoed in Jharkhand Assembly as BJP leaders intensifying their protest in the House over delay in announcing Babulal Marandi as leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly stalled the house several times on Monday.
BJP legislators trooped into well of the House shouting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ demanding announcement of Marandi as leader of Opposition.
BJP MLAs alleged that Speaker’s position is being misused in the light of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand.
“In order to win second Rajya Sabha seat, state government is trying to do politics of manipulation in which they are conspiring to cancel Assembly membership of our legislative party leader Babulal Marandi,” said BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan.
Baghmara MLA Dhullu Mahto is also being targeted for same, he added. The BJP MLA further added that they will not allow the House to run till Babulal Marandi is announced Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto, however, assured that justice will be done but it cannot be ensured by mounting pressure on him.
“Everything in the Assembly is done under a process, which has already been started in this case,” the Speaker said.
The house was adjourned twice during the day as BJP leaders trooped into well of the house to press their demand chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and banged on the table placed before Assembly Secretary.
Meanwhile, the Speaker announced Sudesh Mahto as legislative party leader of AJSU party. Later, the House was adjourned till the next day.
Amid protests by BJP MLAs, the state government issued white paper on current economic condition of the state alleging the earlier Raghubar Das government of emptying the state coffers due to its poor financial management.
The white paper, tabled by Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, indicated that the state growth rate from 2015- 2019 was 5.7 per cent while the growth rate of state in 2014-15 was 12.05 per cent.
‘Drop of 10% in tax collection’
Amid protests by BJP MLAs, the government issued a white paper on current economic condition. It stated that in last five year, there has been a drop of 10% in tax collection.
The white paper, tabled by FM Rameshwar Oraon, indicated that growth rate from 2015 to 2019 was 5.7% while the growth rate in 2014-15 was 12.05%.
Sector-wise from 2016-17 to 2017-18 there has been a drop of 6.5% in commercial taxes, 12.6% in excise tax, 22.7% in registration and 35.1% in revenue and land reforms.
The government tried to highlight that while the previous government had done little on improving tax collection, expenditure had resulted in the loss to the state exchequer.