Hours before the announcement of the poll schedule for Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding clearance of Rs 1.36 lakh crore in pending dues from coal companies.
Soren stated that he was not asking for a "special budget" for the state but is requesting its rightful dues, which he claims are causing irreparable harm to Jharkhand’s development. Soren posted the letter on X which read, "This outstanding amount is our right... Jharkhand is not asking for a special budget. We are just asking for our rights—which we will take under all circumstances."
Furthermore, the letter stated, "In spite of provisions in the law and judicial pronouncements, coal companies are not making any payment... These questions have been raised at various forums, including your kind office, Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog. But till now this compensation (Rs 1.36 lakh crore) has not yet been paid."
'Jharkhand underdeveloped because of dues': Soren
Soren emphasised that the state's underdevelopment is hampering essential socio-economic projects due to these dues. He wrote the letter after a recent ruling by a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court affirmed the state's right to collect its mining and royalty dues.
"The State of Jharkhand is an under-developed state and there are lots of social economic development projects which are getting hampered due to non-payment of our justifiable demands," Soren wrote.
In his letter, he added, "This delay in payment of the just demand raised by the state has constrained me to write to you that this negligence is causing irreparable damage to Jharkhand and its people. Various social sector schemes in Education, Health, Women & Child Development, Clean Drinking Water & last mile connectivity are unable to be translated on the ground because of lack of funds."
Previously, in a post on X, Soren had said, "When you demand the rights of Jharkhandis, they put you in jail. But, to get our rights, we will go for any sacrifice. We are not asking for special status like BJP-ruled states, nor are we asking for a bigger share of the Union budget like some states. Just give us our rights, that's our demand."
Elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra
Notably, the Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to announce the poll dates for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections at a press conference on Tuesday. The current term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on November 26, while Jharkhand's assembly term concludes on January 5 next year.
(With PTI inputs)
