RANCHI: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday re-launched the ambitious 'Sona Sobran Dhoti-Saree' Distribution Scheme from Dumka.
While launching the scheme, Soren came down heavily on his predecessor Raghubar Das for withdrawing the scheme and said that the previous BJP government withheld the scheme meant for a vast section of the underprivileged population in the state, who are being deprived of even some of the basic amenities.
According to Soren, the state government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 500 crore for this scheme under which poor people would get Dhoti, Lungi, and Saari through the public distribution system by paying only Rs 10 twice a year.
Meanwhile, similar programmes were also organized for the distribution of dhoti and saree in Ranchi, Chaibasa, Garhwa, Giridih, and Seraikela Kharsawan districts by linking them online with the state-level programme being held in Dumka.
Addressing the gathering during the programme, the Chief Minister said that the government has started many schemes which are being implemented very fast. In this episode, the dhoti-sari distribution scheme has been started again, he said.
Soren said that after successfully handling the crisis that emerged due to the pandemic the State Government was gradually focussing on introducing developmental schemes along with income generating ones for the unemployed youths.
“We declared this year to be the employment generation year but due to the pandemic there was a delay in launching the schemes declared earlier,” Soren explained further adding that his government had recently come forward with a new industrial policy to felicitate aspiring youths of the SC/ST categories to set up industrial units on their own.
Soren also informed that the state government was importing eggs from other states to meet the demand of the midday meal particularly after his government’s decision to double the limit from 3 eggs per child to six eggs in a week.
The Chief Minister, during the programme, also interacted with the beneficiaries of the Sona Sobran Dhoti Saari. He also laid the foundation and inaugurated developmental schemes worth over Rs 36 crores altogether in Dumka and dedicated the corona testing machine of international standard for the Phulo Jhano medical college and hospital here.