Now, Welfare Minister stumbles

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi
| Saturday, March 13, 2010

Welfare Minister Hazi Hussain was red faced when he was caught furnishing wrong information to the Assembly. The claim of Ansari boomeranged during the Budget session on Friday when he said that the State Government has, so far; distributed Rs 7,40,80,000 as gratuitous relief among 1.9 lakh families.

JVM MLA Pradeep Yadav, who raised this matter during Question Hour, was quick to challenge the Minister. He claimed none of the family in Jharkhand has received the amount under ‘dire need of immediate sustenance’ as claimed by the Minister.

The Minister, however, was fine to elaborate the scheme under the head of ‘disaster management’ where the State Government provides financial assistance of Rs 400 to each family. But his claim to have provided the relief raised a bout of protest of the Opposition.

JVM MLA Samresh Singh got yet another opportunity to jump in the Well of the House while the rest resorted to sloganeering calling Minister’s claim ‘a big lie on pious Friday.’

Even Assembly Speaker CP Singh was not happy with the way the ministers of the Government has been coming in the House ill-prepared and ill-informed.

“Please be well-informed when you come to face the House,” Ansari received professional admonition from the Speaker. And the Minister was left wondering.

It, nevertheless, did not help to assuage the Opposition which unremittingly hooted the Minister. The Treasury was meekly conceded that minister’s claim held no ground.

Intervening in the matter, Deputy Chief Minister Raghuwar Das assured the House to ensure the distribution of gratuitous amount within one month. It for the second consecutive day when the first-time ministers of the Shibu Soren Government were caught for briefing the House with false or unsupported data.