Ranchi: The six-day Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly, beginning on Thursday, is expected to witness heated exchanges over the ongoing student agitation in Ranchi, with political parties urging the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters.
Ahead of the session, Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato chaired an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the smooth functioning of the House. The protest by students at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations emerged as one of the key issues during the discussions.
Leaders across party lines appealed to the state government to initiate talks with the agitating students at the earliest and work towards a peaceful resolution of the impasse.
The protest centres on allegations of corruption, paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). With the agitation continuing for nearly two weeks, the issue is expected to dominate proceedings throughout the Assembly session.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav, JLKM MLA Jairam Mahato, AJSU MLA Nirmal Mahto, LJP MLA Suresh Paswan and representatives of other political parties.
Participants agreed that the House should function in keeping with democratic traditions and parliamentary decorum.
During the meeting, Jairam Mahato called for immediate discussions between the government and representatives of the protesting students. He also demanded a special two-hour debate in the Assembly on the alleged recruitment scam and sought a detailed discussion on the prevailing drought situation in the state.
Speaking after the meeting, Chief Minister Hemant Soren described the Assembly as the highest democratic forum for reflecting the aspirations of the people. He said the government remained committed to meaningful debate, accountability and constructive dialogue on all issues concerning the public.
Expressing hope for smooth proceedings, Soren urged all political parties to place the interests of Jharkhand above political differences and contribute to the success of the session.
The Monsoon Session will run from August 6 to August 12, with five working days. The state government is scheduled to present the first supplementary budget for the 2026-27 financial year on August 7, alongside several important legislative proposals.
Besides the students’ agitation and the alleged recruitment examination irregularities, issues such as law and order, drought conditions and other public concerns are expected to spark intense debates between the treasury benches and the opposition.
With inputs from IANS