RANCHI: In a major development towards the recovery of the outstanding central dues of Rs 1,36,000 crore, the Jharkhand government has set up a committee to determine the exact amount it is owed and recover the dues from Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
It was revealed by the Minister-in-charge Yogendra Prasad during the question hour of the ongoing Budget Session of Jharkhand Assembly on Monday.
The question was asked by MLA Saryu Roy that why the state government was not taking strong action to settle the matter, even though it is pending in the High Court and the Central Tribunal.
According to the Yogendra Prasad, a committee has already been formed on March 1, and will submit an affidavit on the issue very soon.
The minister in charge also mentioned that Chief Minister Hemant Soren had written to the Centre multiple times—on June 24, 2020, March 2, 2022, and April 11, 2022—about the outstanding dues. Additionally, former Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh wrote to the Centre on December 4, 2022, stating that the state was owed Rs 1.36 lakh crore.
The minister assured that the government would explore all legal options to recover the dues. MLA Saryu Roy pointed out that by 2009, the principal amount was Rs 41,142 crore, while the interest had grown to Rs 60,000 crore. Interfering in between, Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore also informed the House about his meeting with Union Minister Kishan Reddy, who assured him that the Coal Ministry would look into the matter.
According to Kishore, he has handed over a written memorandum to the Union Finance Minister demanding the outstanding of Rs 1,36,000 crore dues to Jharkhand. 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, he said.
Kishore asserted in the House that the state government is committed to recover its due and will also take legal resort if required.
“We will recover the full amount, including interest. This is not a political issue but a matter of the rights of Jharkhand’s people,” said Kishore.
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.
Notably, Jharkhand gets the highest royalty of about Rs 5500 crore from coal. About Rs 3200 crore royalties are obtained from iron ore. The remaining royalty is received from gold, uranium, stone, limestone, copper and other minerals.