The 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections have begun. Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is once again putting tribal rights and care at the top of its list of priorities.
There is still the question of whether or not the party, which says it speaks for tribal groups, has really made a big difference in their lives during its time in power.
The Hemant Soren government made a lot of promises and plans. Some of the most important ones are the “Abua Awas Yojana” (Our Housing Scheme), land rights, schooling, healthcare, jobs, and land rights. How have these projects helped the tribal community? The BJP has raised concerns about the Abua Awas Yojana in particular and has said that the JMM government is crooked and doesn’t work well.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is part of the BJP’s Jharkhand office, said, “The Jharkhand government’s Abua Awas Yojana has turned into a Babu Awas Yojana.” He was critical of the plan. No one can get a house without paying a fee.
The Abua Awas Yojana’s Goals and Reality
More than 2.5 million people in Jharkhand were offered permanent housing through the Abua Awas Yojana, which began on August 15, 2023. People who qualified were promised a three-room house for ₹2 lakh. The main goal was to provide safe, cheap housing for tribal groups. On the ground, though, things look very bad. Reports say that tribal beneficiaries often face problems, such as having to pay bribes to get the benefits of the plan.
The government says that thousands of tribal families have been given homes through the program, but there isn’t much information available about this. The government website doesn’t give clear numbers on finished homes.
The government has promised that all homeless and at-risk families will have a place to live by 2026. Still, there are doubts about how many homes have been built so far.
Corruption and Claims of Bad Management
The Abua Awas Yojana is having a hard time getting things done because of corruption. A lot of tribal families say they had to pay bribes to village leaders, local officials, and contractors to get their housing funds approved or for building to go faster. For those who depend on these payments, growth stops, leaving them in the lurch.
Reports from the ground show that many native families are unhappy. They say they have to go through long bureaucratic processes and pay bribes at every step. Even though the government says the plan is quick and effective, it hasn’t had much of an effect so far because of corruption and inefficient administration that make its goals impossible to reach.
Administrative wrongdoing and breach of rights
There have also been claims of poor management of the Abua Awas Yojana. There is almost no transparency, and people who benefit from the plan often complain that they don’t have enough information about it. Many people have to wait a long time because there is too much paperwork and red tape. This not only goes against their rights, but it also shows that the government can’t keep its promises.
Is Hemant Soren’s government really giving tribal communities power?
His government, led by Hemant Soren, has often talked about plans to help local people. On the other hand, these vows have not been kept. Instead of getting benefits, tribal groups are often forced into situations where they have to pay bribes to get what they are entitled to. A lot of people in the tribe areas are now disappointed and angry about this.
People are not just criticizing the Abua Awas Yojana. They are also criticizing strategies for taking land and programs that help people find jobs. A lot of tribe families think that the government has made their problems worse instead of fixing them.
Tribal communities are becoming more and more unhappy.
Discontent among tribal communities has increased under the Hemant Soren government, with unmet demands and unfulfilled promises leading to protests and demonstrations. Many feel that the government has failed to uphold their rights and is exploiting their issues for political gain.
Effects of Politics on the Jharkhand Elections
If these problems aren’t fixed before the Jharkhand polls, they will have a big impact on how JMM does. Will tribal groups continue to see JMM as their voice, or will they see it as just another political tool that didn’t work? The election results will show how well the party did at listening to tribal worries and keeping its promises.