Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday urged the Central government to extend greater cooperation for Jharkhand’s accelerated development, presenting a comprehensive vision for the state's future at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog.
Outlining his government's development agenda, Soren stressed that Jharkhand's vast mineral reserves should serve as a foundation for improving the lives of its people.
He said the state must be recognised not only for its contribution of natural resources but also as a key stakeholder in India's economic transformation.
The Chief Minister highlighted the need to promote value addition within the state by encouraging manufacturing and industrial activities linked to mineral resources. Such initiatives, he said would create large-scale employment opportunities and strengthen the local economy.
He sought Central assistance for setting up industries based on critical minerals, research and innovation centres, and expanding investment in sectors including textiles, electronics, renewable energy, logistics and food processing.
Emphasising sustainable growth, Soren said the state is adopting advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence for mineral exploration and mining management.
He reiterated Jharkhand’s commitment to the national goal of “Viksit Bharat @2047” and identified education, healthcare and skill development as the cornerstones of long-term progress.
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Reviewing achievements in the social sector, he noted improvements in child nutrition through programmes such as Poshan Abhiyan and SAAMAR. Despite infrastructure gaps in several Anganwadi centres, the state has continued efforts to strengthen nutritional support and is constructing thousands of new Anganwadi buildings with its own resources.
In education, Soren said students from government-run Schools of Excellence are gaining admission to premier institutions, including IITs and medical colleges.
The government is also working to establish thousands of model schools and has requested additional PM SHRI Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas and a regional NCERT centre in Jharkhand.
Highlighting employment initiatives, he said over one lakh youths are being linked to jobs every year, while lakhs have received skill training under the SARATHI scheme.
Training programmes are also focusing on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, drones and solar energy.
Among the major demands placed before the Centre were the release of pending Jal Jeevan Mission funds, settlement of coal company dues, revision of District Mineral Foundation norms, simplification of land acquisition procedures and approval for two proposed medical colleges under the PPP model.
Soren said the state's development strategy aims to combine natural resources with human capital to build a self-reliant and prosperous Jharkhand.
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