Jharkhand Assembly Chaos: Rs 7,721 Crore Budget Amid Scholarship Fury

The repeated uproar forced multiple adjournments before the proceedings were put off for the day.

As soon as the house was convened, opposition MLAs trooped into the well, shouting slogans over the alleged failure of the state government to release scholarships to thousands of students.

Members of the ruling alliance also entered the well, leading to a heated face-off that brought the proceedings to a halt.

Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato expressed strong displeasure at the persistent sloganeering, warning that such disruptions undermine the purpose of all-party meetings and the Business Advisory Committee. Despite his repeated appeals, the protests continued. Eventually, the house was adjourned for some time.

When the house reassembled at 12 p.m., Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi launched a sharp attack on the government over the issues of scholarships and paddy procurement.

Marandi alleged that students had not received scholarships for several months and were being forced into menial jobs, including washing dishes at hotels. He demanded an immediate discussion on the matter, calling it a serious failure of governance.

He also accused the government of neglecting farmers by delaying the procurement of paddy. He claimed that farmers who had already harvested their crop were being compelled to sell to middlemen at throwaway prices of Rs 15-16 per kg, far below the Minimum Support Price.

Earlier in the day, the BJP legislative party held a meeting under Marandi's leadership to chalk out a coordinated strategy to corner the government on various issues.

Later, Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore tabled the Rs 7,721 crore supplementary budget, seeking additional financial allocations for ongoing schemes.

With the House unable to function amid continued commotion, the Speaker adjourned the session for the day, announcing that business would resume at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

- IANS