State Bureau, Ranchi: Senior JMM leader and MLA from the Maheshpur Assembly constituency, Stephen Marandi, has been appointed as the Protem Speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly for the third consecutive time. He had previously held this responsibility twice before. The record for the most consecutive terms as Protem Speaker is held by Visheshwar Khan, who served three times.
Timeline of Jharkhand Assembly Protem Speakers
| Protem Speaker | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Visheshwar Khan | November 18, 2000 – November 22, 2000 |
| Visheshwar Khan | June 2, 2004 – June 4, 2004 |
| Visheshwar Khan | August 14, 2004 – August 18, 2004 |
| Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu | March 7, 2005 – March 11, 2005 |
| Kariya Munda | March 12, 2005 – March 13, 2005 |
| Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu | September 18, 2006 – October 20, 2006 |
| Teklal Mahto | January 2, 2010 – January 6, 2010 |
| Simon Marandi | July 21, 2013 – July 25, 2013 |
| Stephen Marandi | January 2, 2015 – January 7, 2015 |
| Stephen Marandi | December 31, 2019 – January 7, 2020 |
Avinash Appointed Additional Chief Secretary to CM; Bhajantri Returns as Ranchi DC
On assuming power, Chief Minister Hemant Soren initiated administrative reshuffles, appointing Avinash Kumar as the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister. Avinash will continue to hold additional charges, including Energy Department’s Additional Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, MD of Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd., MD of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd., and Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand Bhawan.
Manjunath Bhajantri has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ranchi. Bhajantri was previously removed from the DC position during the elections following instructions from the Election Commission. He will also retain charge as Settlement Officer. Meanwhile, outgoing Ranchi DC Varun Ranjan has been appointed as MD of Jharkhand Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation until further orders.
CM Hands Over ₹10 Lakh Compensation to Family of Martyred Agniveer
In a significant gesture on his first day in office, Chief Minister Hemant Soren handed over a compensation cheque of ₹10 lakh to the family of martyred Agniveer Arjun Mahto, who sacrificed his life in an encounter with insurgents in Silchar, Assam, on November 21. The CM also presented an appointment letter to Arjun’s brother, Balram Mahto.
Arjun Mahto hailed from Fatehpur village in Chandankyari block, Bokaro district. The event was attended by MLA Kalpana Soren, MLA Umakant Rajak, and the martyr’s sister Lakshmi Kumari.
The CM reaffirmed his government’s commitment to honoring and supporting martyrs and their families. He instructed officials to ensure the family avails benefits from various welfare schemes and reiterated the state policy to provide ₹10 lakh compensation and a government job to a dependent of any Agniveer or soldier sacrificing their life in the line of duty.
