The Jharkhand Cabinet on Monday, 15 June approved a significant increase in ex gratia payments for deaths caused by wild animal attacks — raising the compensation from ₹4 lakh to ₹10 lakh — among a series of decisions taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi. A time-bound disbursement mechanism will accompany the revised payouts, ensuring immediate relief reaches affected families.

Revised Compensation for Animal Attack Victims

Under the updated framework, families of those killed in wild animal attacks will receive ₹10 lakh, more than double the earlier ₹4 lakh. Victims who suffer serious injuries will be entitled to ₹2 lakh, those with minor injuries will receive ₹35,000, and cases of permanent disability will attract a payout of ₹3.5 lakh. The government has introduced a streamlined, time-bound process to ensure compensation is not delayed by administrative bottlenecks — a long-standing grievance in forested districts where human-wildlife conflict is frequent.

Salary Advance Scheme for State Employees

The Cabinet also cleared a proposal allowing state government employees to draw salary advances and access easy loan facilities during financial emergencies. The scheme will be operated through non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), with the government stating it will shield employees from high-interest informal borrowing. Employees can avail salary advances for up to 30 days with no interest or additional charges, provided the amount is repaid within the same salary cycle. Longer-tenure loans will be available in easy instalments. Officials clarified the arrangement will impose no additional burden on the state exchequer.

Infrastructure and Mining Approvals

The Cabinet granted administrative approval of ₹947.26 crore for the Amanat Barrage project in Palamu district, considered critical for irrigation and agriculture in the region. A further ₹162.82 crore was sanctioned for four-laning and strengthening of the Namkum-Doranda road in Ranchi. On the mining front, leases were approved for the Parbatpur and Sitanala coal blocks in Bokaro district and the Jeetpur coal block in Godda district. The Cabinet also decided to seek central government approval for reserving certain mineral blocks in East Singhbhum.

Other Key Decisions

The Cabinet approved pay uniformity for contractual computer operators and data entry operators across state departments, addressing long-standing pay disparities. Services of certain employees at the Bokaro and Godda district collectorates were regularised, and appointments to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspector were cleared based on Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission recommendations. Among other approvals: continuation of the Women's Helpline 181 services, extension of the Jharnet 2.0 project, formation of an independent expert panel under the Dam Safety Act, and adoption of a hybrid model for the Forest Department. The appointment of Advocate Rohitashya Rai as Advocate General of Jharkhand was also formally confirmed.

With the revised compensation rates and the salary advance scheme now cleared, the Soren government's next challenge will be ensuring swift on-ground implementation — particularly in remote districts where animal attack incidents are most acute.