RANCHI: As politics heats up following the Central Government’s reply in the Lok Sabha that the Centre or its PSUs do not owe anything to Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Tuesday threatened to stop all mining activities in the state if the dues are not cleared.
JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya also warned coal companies to clarify their position within fifteen days, or none of the coal mines will be allowed to operate in Jharkhand.
Bhattacharya said that when Pappu Yadav raised the question of dues in the Lok Sabha, it was stated that no money of Jharkhand is pending with the Centre. He accused the Minister of State for Finance of deliberately hiding the facts by not mentioning the coal-related payments.
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 2,500 crore are due as coal royalty.
Bhattacharya stated that until the dues of Jharkhand are paid, not a single coal truck will be allowed to leave the state. The state government is prepared to fight the battle legally, he said.
“Don’t compel us to take strict actions… not a single coal mine will be allowed to operate in the state. Not a single piece of coal will go out of the state until the dues are cleared,” said Bhattacharya.
The JMM General Secretary also reiterated that if Coal India does not respond to its queries within 15 days, the party will ensure that no coal is allowed to leave Jharkhand.
“Now, we will also charge for the railway freights passing through Jharkhand. If we are compelled to fight, we are ready for it,” said Bhattacharya.
“This is not a government that bows down; this is a government that will snatch its rights,” he added.
“We will not ask for our rights humbly… but we will snatch it,” vowed Bhattacharya. The misconception the BJP is spreading will not last longer, he added.
Bhattacharya mentioned that the Union Coal Minister had earlier visited Jharkhand, met the Chief Minister, and discussed returning the state’s dues, but the Centre is now denying its commitment.
Meanwhile, the Revenue and Land Reforms Department of the Government of Jharkhand issued an order on Tuesday appointing the Special Secretary of the department to address legal hurdles in recovering the state’s dues from Coal India Limited.
The Revenue Department has also sought a status report from the Special Secretary regarding the legal action being undertaken by the department within 15 days. Sources claimed that the state government is preparing to file a money suit very soon to recover the due amount from the Jharkhand Government.
Commenting on the matter, State BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shahdev said that the government must make public the specifics of the claimed Rs 1,36,000 crore, including which department it pertains to and the respective years, with full details.
Notably, Jharkhand gets the highest royalty of about Rs 5,500 crore from coal. About Rs 3,200 crore in royalties can be obtained from iron ore. The remaining royalty is received from gold, uranium, stone, limestone, copper, and other minerals.