Jharkhand CM Soren hands over appointment letter to slain Agniveer’s brother Rs 10 lakh to mother

    Ranchi, Nov 28 (PTI) Soon after taking oath as the 14th CM of Jharkhand on Thursday, Hemant Soren handed over an appointment letter to the brother of Agniveer Arjun Mahto, who was killed in an encounter in Assam's Silchar on November 22.
    He also presented a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Mahto's mother—Hulasi Devi, as part of the state government's ex gratia for the martyr's family.
    Mahto, a resident of Chandankiyari in Bokaro district, was serving in the Indian Army under the Agniveer scheme.
    Soren said that his government had previously decided a Rs 10 lakh ex gratia and a government job for the next of kin of Agniveer soldiers from Jharkhand who lose their lives during duty or military operations.
    "In line with our commitment, we have provided an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of martyred Agniveer Arjun Mahto. An appointment letter has also been handed over to his brother, Balaram Mahto, who has been inducted into a fourth-grade post in the Bokaro collectorate," Soren told reporters at the state secretariat.
    He further assured that the family of Mahto would receive benefits from various welfare schemes of the government. "Our government had already made a policy decision to provide an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to one dependent of any martyred Agniveer," he said.
    The policy was approved by his previous cabinet on August 29, with a circular issued on September 9.
    This marks the 49-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader’s fourth term as Chief Minister. The JMM-led alliance secured 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed to win 24 seats.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)