Now Reading: Soren warns of agitation after Parliament passes mining bill
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Soren warns of agitation after Parliament passes mining bill
Parliament on Thursday passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to restrict states’ powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. Jharkhand Chief Minister…
The Story in Brief
Parliament on Thursday passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to restrict states’ powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the legislation and warned of opposition across the state if it is not withdrawn.
The Economic Times reports that mining revenue made up 84.9 per cent of Jharkhand’s own non-tax revenue in 2024-25. Soren said the proposed Mineral Bearing Land Cess could bring in about Rs 7,110 crore annually. He warned that reduced revenue could affect welfare, infrastructure and programmes addressing the social and environmental costs of mining.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative that Jharkhand is simply resisting national development ignores its heavy dependence on mining revenue and the costs of extraction. But claims that the bill will immediately cripple welfare programmes also go beyond the available evidence, since its final fiscal impact is not given here. The meaningful test will be how much revenue the state actually loses after the law takes effect, and whether a replacement is provided.
Sources (2): indiatvnews.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
