Jharkhand to Enact Comprehensive Organ Donation Law, Says CM Hemant Soren

He said that there are policies and legal provisions at the central level on this issue, but the desired outcomes have not been fully realised on the ground.

The state government, he said, will strengthen the legal framework and launch a wide-ranging public awareness campaign to ensure timely life-saving support for patients in need of organ transplants.

He referred to a recent organ donation of a 10-month-old Alin Sherin Abraham from Kerala. He said such acts send a powerful message of humanity to society.

"When it comes to saving lives, the boundaries of religion and caste disappear. It is the highest example of humanity," he said, adding that Jharkhand will take concrete steps to promote organ donation.

Soren reiterated his government's vision of making Jharkhand one of the leading states in the country by 2050, stating that the proposed organ donation law forms part of this broader development roadmap.

The Chief Minister also noted that this was the first time in the 25-year history of Jharkhand's Budget Session that the opposition had not moved a single amendment to the Governor's address.

He claimed this demonstrated that the opposition raises issues outside the House but fails to take substantive steps within the House.

As Soren began his speech, BJP MLAs staged a boycott and walked out of the Assembly.

Soren said, "If you plant acacia (babool) trees, how will mangoes grow?" He said his government will rectify past policies.

He added that while Jharkhand once followed development models of other states, its welfare schemes are now being discussed elsewhere in the country.

Despite limited resources, the Chief Minister said, his government was prioritising social security, strengthening education and improving healthcare services.

He also questioned the opposition over rising national debt and raised concerns about the Centre's paddy procurement policy, asking what would happen to local farmers if paddy continued to be sourced from other states.

On the issue of the upper age limit for the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination, Soren said the government was taking the matter seriously and that efforts were underway towards a positive resolution.

Earlier in the day, the Jharkhand High Court, while hearing a petition seeking relaxation of the upper age limit for the JPSC's 14th Civil Services Examination, granted interim relief to 264 candidates. The court directed the Commission to accept their applications but clarified that the results would be subject to its final order, and any appointments would depend on the outcome of the case.

- IANS