A delegation of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (a coalition of right outfits) met state finance minister Radha Krishna Kishore and suggested making provisions on issues related to marginalised communities in the upcoming budget 2025-26.

The delegation, which also comprised well-known development economist Jean Dreze, during the meeting on Thursday submitted a memorandum raising important issues like long-delayed social security pension, improvement in the salary of mid-day meal cooks, expansion of maternity benefit scheme, increase in the minimum wage rate of the state and the appointment of teachers.

The Mahasabha demanded immediate payment of social security pension pending for the last five months and suggested increasing it from ₹1,000 to ₹2,500, a rate which is at par with Maiya Samman Yojana (monthly finance assistance for poor women in Jharkhand).

The delegation requested for increase in the salary of mid-day meal cooks, the inclusion of them in Maiya Samman Yojana and an increase in the state’s minimum wage rate. It drew attention to the serious teacher shortage in Jharkhand, where one-third of the primary schools are dependent on just one teacher and demanded immediate recruitment of teachers under the RTE Act.

It also suggested increasing the maternity benefit from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 and starting the state government’s own maternity scheme on the lines of Odisha’s Mamata Yojana.

The Mahasabha also reminded the minister who is a Congress leader of the election promises made by the coalition parties (JMM-Congress-RJD) such as immediate cancellation of the land bank policy and the Land Acquisition Act Amendment 2017 (brought during the erstwhile Raghubar Das-led BJP government). It also demanded that the government take immediate action towards fulfilling these poll promises.

The Mahasabha members in a press statement later in the evening claimed that the finance minister gave a positive response to their suggestions and also assured that the government will consider increasing the honorarium of social security pension and mid-day meal cooks.

“The minister also promised to prepare a clear roadmap for the expansion of Maternity Benefit Scheme in Jharkhand and assured that the problems related to e-KYC will be discussed in the upcoming state level banker’s meeting and representatives of the Mahasabha will also be invited,” the statement from the Mahasabha claimed.

“The minister also informed that the Jharkhand government is continuously working towards the establishment of the displacement commission. The minister further assured that the government will look
seriously into the issues of problems faced by mica scrap (dhibra) workers of Koderma and Giridih and displaced families of Chandil and Malay Dam,” the statement
further said.