The decision came during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister on Thursday, where a total of 31 proposals were cleared across various sectors including education, health, infrastructure, and governance reforms.
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The Jharkhand Cabinet’s approval of the Jharkhand Excise Retail Liquor Management Rules, 2025 has triggered sharp political reactions, with the Opposition BJP accusing the Hemant Soren-led government of paving the way for another liquor scam while ignoring socially inclusive alternatives.
The decision came during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister on Thursday, where a total of 31 proposals were cleared across various sectors including education, health, infrastructure, and governance reforms. However, it is the new liquor policy that has emerged as the most contentious.
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BJP spokesperson Ajay Sah, addressing the media shortly after the Cabinet decisions were announced, said the policy reflects a business-as-usual approach that prioritizes revenue over reform. “Instead of correcting the systemic flaws that led to the previous liquor scam, the government has chosen to repeat the same opaque, contractor-driven model. There is no transparency, no local participation, and certainly no effort to engage the communities most affected by alcohol abuse,” Sah alleged.
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He cited former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi’s suggestion that retail liquor outlets should be managed by women’s self-help groups (SHGs), especially in rural areas impacted by alcoholism. According to the BJP, such a model could have addressed both economic empowerment and social rehabilitation. “But this government has no vision for social justice. What we see is political protection for vested interests,” Sah added.
The Cabinet also approved the Jharkhand Government Secondary School Teachers and Non-teaching Staff Service Conditions Rules, 2025, laying down recruitment and service norms for teachers from Classes 9 to 12. This too drew criticism from the BJP, which questioned the legitimacy of introducing teacher appointments without finalising a local employment policy. Sah said, “The government has had over five years to formulate a clear local policy, yet it continues to delay, while exploiting the issue for electoral narratives.”
Other decisions included the expansion of Ayushman Bharat benefits under the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme for all citizens aged 70 and above, approval of the new Jharkhand Jail Manual 2025 replacing the Bihar-adopted version, amendments to labor codes, urban water supply projects, and revenue augmentation consultancy under the World Bank-supported Jharkhand Municipal Development Project. The government also sanctioned administrative approval for several roads, bridges, and public welfare infrastructure projects. In addition, the Cabinet cleared the extension of Redbird Airways Pvt. Ltd for VIP air services and continued provisioning of micronutrient-rich nutrition under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
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