RANCHI: State Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore on Friday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Coal Minister Kishan Reddy over the payment of outstanding dues to Jharkhand.
He handed them a written memorandum demanding the outstanding dues of Rs 1,36000 crore related to the coal mining sector. He also urged for payment of the outstanding dues as soon as possible.
The Union Coal Minister has asked the officials to form a panel to calculate the exact amount of dues to Jharkhand so that positive steps could be taken to clear it as soon as possible.
“The Union Coal Minister directed Additional Secretary of Coal Ministry, Smita Pradhan to form a team of officials from the Union Coal Ministry and Ministry of Mines and Geology under the Government of Jharkhand as soon as possible," Radhakrishna Kishore said.
The Coal Minister Kishan Reddy had assured that the amount belongs to Jharkhand and the actual dues would be calculated with practicality and provided to the state, he added.
Earlier, Chief Minister Hemant Soren while addressing the gathering on JMM’s 53rd Foundation Day in Dhanbad on Tuesday had given a strict warning to the Central Public Sector Undertakings to pay the outstanding dues of Rs 1.36 lakh crore.
Soren said that a letter has been written to demand the dues and legal ways will also be adopted to protect the rights of the people of Jharkhand.
He expressed that they will not hesitate to close the coal mines if outstanding dues are not paid.
BJP on the other hand, reaffirming its commitment to ensure that Jharkhand receives its rightful dues, it questioned the origin of the figure of Rs 1.36 lakh crore repeatedly cited by the Chief Minister and JMM.
State BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo pointed out that the state government has included approximately Rs 60,000 crore of interest as part of the compensation amount, even though the Supreme Court had prohibited state governments from claiming interest on outstanding dues.
Shahdeo emphasised that according to the judgment, states will receive their outstanding dues in 12 instalments over 12 years.
He cited Point 27.2 of the Supreme Court order, which specifies that the instalment payments will begin on April 1, 2026, and continue until April 1, 2037.
He further referred to Point 27.3 of the same judgment, which explicitly states that no interest or penalty will be imposed before July 25, 2024.
According to Pratul, the Chief Minister had made several populist promises during the elections, requiring an estimated expenditure of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the next five years.
Since the state lacks internal resources to generate this revenue, schemes like Maiyaan Samman Yojana --which initially promised benefits to all eligible women -- have now been modified to include eligibility criteria.
“The Chief Minister is aware that he cannot fulfil these election promises and is therefore fabricating a misleading narrative about the Rs1.36 lakh crore allegedly owed by the Centre,” said Shahdeo.
"This is nothing but an attempt to deceive the people of Jharkhand. According to government sources, out of the total amount of Rs 1, 36, 000 crore, Rs 1, 01, 142 crore is due as land compensation, Rs 32,000 crore under Common Cause and Rs 2500 crore are due as coal royalty." he added.
Notably, Jharkhand gets the highest royalty of about Rs 5500 crore from coal.
About Rs 3200 crore royalties is obtained from iron ore with the remaining royalty is received from gold, uranium, stone, limestone, copper and other minerals.