With January 15 being the deadline set by the Congress to rethink on its support to his Government, Chief Minister Madhu Koda is ready with his report card. Though his political rival and former Chief Minister Arjun Munda of the BJP has been critical of his government, Koda has hardly been sitting idle. From inspecting sites of key projects to suspending four personnel of the state road construction department to sacking Jharkhand State Electricity Board chairman — Koda has tried to prove that his government is equipped to deliver the promises made to the voters during the elections. In fact, Koda has claimed that during the past 15 months, his government has achieved what the the NDA Government failed to do during its seven-year tenure.

According to the Chief Minister, the Government has generated jobs for 26,000 people in 15 months and recruited 3,000 police personnel. The state has bagged the second and third positions in the country in implementing the 20-point programme during the first and the second quarter of 2007-08 respectively, he claims. A sick PSU, HEC, has been given a package of Rs 805 crore. Besides, in opening bank or post office accounts for labourers — who have been provided with job cards under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme —Jharkhand has achieved second position among all the states.

These are achievements which perhaps the Congress will not overlook while reviewing its stand on its support to Koda. On Monday, two Independent MLAs — Bandhu Tirkey and Joba Manjhi — who are ministers in Koda cabinet and two RJD legislators — Anupurna Devi and Girinath Singh — were in Delhi to lobby for Koda.Congress leader and incharge of Jharkhand Ajay Maken had made it clear on Sunday that the party will talk to the high commands of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) before deciding its course of action.