Agniveers, electricity bills: Hemant Soren's two major announcements ahead of assembly polls in Jharkhand

Ahead of crucial assembly polls, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday made two major announcements for the state. He announced compensation for families of martyred Agniveers and waived off electricity bills. 

"Today, the government has decided that the families of the martyred Agniveers of Jharkhand will be given compensation on the basis of Jharkhand Police," he said while speaking to reporters. Apart from this, he said, the pending electricity bills of the poor will also be waived off.

Soren's announcement comes just months before the assembly elections in Jharkhand. Soren's JMM is part of the INDIA bloc, which has been asking the Centre to scrap the new defence recruitment scheme, Agnipath. 

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youths for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. After four years, soldiers are given tax-free Rs 11.71 lakh as the Seva Nidhi package.

However, there is no entitlement to gratuity and pensionary benefits. Agniveers are also provided non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh for the duration of their engagement period in the armed forces.

For life insurance coverage, the government pays the premium. Agniveers are given Rs 44 lakh as ex gratia if they lose their lives in the line of duty.

Jharkhand will go to polls later this year.