Hemant Soren to present job, cash to Agniveer's kin post oath

Ranchi- In a move symbolizing his commitment to supporting the armed forces, Jharkhand Chief Minister-designate Hemant Soren will present a government job appointment letter and a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to the family of a martyred Agniveer shortly after taking oath for his fourth term on Thursday.

Arjun Kumar Mahato, a Fatehpur resident, was killed in an encounter in Silchar, Assam, on November 22 while serving as an Agniveer in the Indian Army. The 2023 recruit's father, Lankeshwar Mahato, survives him.

This gesture follows a cabinet decision made under the previous Soren-led government to provide government jobs and monetary compensation to the families of Agniveers who die on duty. This initiative is believed to be the first of its kind in India for the families of Agniveers.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, Soren will assume office at the Jharkhand Ministry in Project Bhawan and later present a government job appointment letter and a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to the martyred Agniveer's family at a government event.

The Chief Minister-designate is set to make history as the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand to be sworn in for a fourth time. He first assumed office on July 13, 2013, leading a government supported by the Congress-RJD alliance until December 23, 2014. He returned to power on December 29, 2019, but resigned on January 31, 2024, following an ED arrest. After posting bail, Soren resumed office on July 4, 2024.

Soren's return to power follows a resounding victory in the recent Assembly elections, where his coalition secured a two-thirds majority, winning 56 seats in the 81-member Assembly. This victory marks a significant achievement as no previous Jharkhand government has been consecutively re-elected.