Now Reading: Congress says new mines act will cost Jharkhand Rs 14,000 crore, BJP disagrees
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Congress says new mines act will cost Jharkhand Rs 14,000 crore, BJP disagrees
Congress says new mines act will cost Jharkhand Rs 14,000 crore, BJP disagrees
The Jharkhand Congress unit has said the newly amended MMDR Act will cause the state exchequer a loss of Rs 14,000 crore and accused the BJP of misleading the public. Party state…
The Jharkhand Congress unit has said the newly amended MMDR Act will cause the state exchequer a loss of Rs 14,000 crore and accused the BJP of misleading the public. Party state chief Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said the amendment undermines the state's constitutional rights over its mineral wealth and questioned the actual benefits derived during former chief minister Raghubar Das's tenure.
Das countered that the Act serves state and national interests by curbing illegal mining and promoting transparency. He said 90 per cent of mining tax revenue already goes to states and blamed the current JMM-Congress government for failing to operationalise 30 of 34 approved coal blocks. Das also argued that Jharkhand's own cess has made its coal costlier than that of neighbouring states, reducing demand.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The two reports frame the MMDR Amendment dispute from opposing party lines. Hindustan Times gives equal space to the Congress claim that the amendment costs Jharkhand Rs 14,000 crore and to the BJP ex-CM's counter that the state's own cess has made its coal costlier and reduced production. Neither side addresses the other's core point: the Congress does not tackle the output drop the BJP cites, and the BJP does not explain how the state would replace the lost cess revenue under the new Act. The concrete next step is the ongoing legislative process: the Centre has passed the amendment, but state-level political and possibly legal challenges remain likely before any budget impact is felt.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 government-critical
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (government critical), hindustantimes.com (2) (pro government)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
