Hemant Soren writes to PM Modi demanding to release dues of ₹1.36 lakh crore

Jharkhand CM urges PM Modi to release ₹1.36 lakh crore dues from coal companies for state development.

In the run-up to the assembly election, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Central Government to release dues to the tune of ₹1,36,042 crores pending as of March 2022 payable to the State exchequer from the coal companies operating in Jharkhand. The letter was written on September 23 but released on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) through social media platform ‘X’.

In the letter, Mr. Soren asserted that he was not asking for special status like the BJP-allied states, nor he was asking for a bigger share of the Union Budget, rather the demand is only for justice, not for privileges. He wrote a similar letter in March 2022.

Expressing the pain, Mr. Soren said that when he demanded the rights of Jharkhandis, he was put in jail.

“As you are aware the social-economic development of the state of Jharkhand mainly depends on revenue from the mines and minerals and 80% of which comes from the coal mining. As already conveyed in my earlier letter, there are major dues to the tune of ₹1,36,042 crores. Despite repeated reminders, nothing has moved in this direction which has caused great prejudice and loss of the State depriving the State Government of the possibility of extending & expanding various socio-economic reforms and policies to the last person in the last village,”Mr. Soren said in the letter.

He alleged a double standard behaviour saying when Jharkhand electricity companies had slightly delayed in payment of the dues to DVC, they were charged interest at the rate of 12% and direct debit was made from the Reserve Bank of India from their account on account of the said non-payment.

He further said that the difference in policy between dues which are “payable by us” and dues “payable to us” shows a dichotomy and arbitrary to say the least, which puts the state at a very disadvantageous position.

“Just give us our rights, that’s our demand. Our demand is only for justice, not for privileges. The people of Jharkhand have fought a long struggle for their state, and now we want proper use of our resources and rights. We will use our outstanding amount of ₹1.36 lakh crore to take Jharkhand on a new path of development - a development that protects the interests of our environment, tribals and every Jharkhandi community. We will improve education and health services so that our children have a bright future. We will better protect our language and culture so that our identity remains intact and we will provide new dimensions of employment to our youth,”Mr. Soren said in a message posted on social media platform X.