Jharkhand govt initiates process for legal action to realise 'coal dues' from Centre
Ranchi (PTI): The Jharkhand government initiated the process for legal action to realise "Rs 1.36 lakh crore coal dues" from the Centre.
The government issued a notification on Tuesday authorising Secretary, Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms to commence the legal procedure to realise the dues.
The development came shortly after the state government announced in its first cabinet meeting last month that it would take legal action to get its dues.
"Secretary, Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms is nominated as nodal officer to initiate immediate legal action to realise Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues from the Centre.
"In case of obstacles in payments by subsidiaries of Coal India in lieu of washed coal royalty dues, common cause dues etc, steps should be taken to resolve this in consultation with the Advocate General," the notification said.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, too, had said after being sworn in last month that legal action would be initiated to realise the dues.
Earlier, he had requested the Centre "with folded hands" to clear the multi-crore coal dues to the state.
On November 2, he posted on X: "The PM and the home minister are coming to Jharkhand. I once again request them with folded hands to clear the outstanding (coal dues) of Rs 1.36 lakh crore to Jharkhandis. This amount is crucial for Jharkhand."
"I would also appeal to my BJP colleagues, especially the MPs, to help Jharkhandis in getting our dues.”
He emphasised the dues with central PSUs like Coal India are "rightful" to the state, and claimed that "non-clearance is causing irreparable harm to Jharkhand’s development".
A recent ruling by a nine-judge Supreme Court bench affirmed the state's right to collect its mining and royalty dues.
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MP Congress leaders gift Rs 5 lakh piggybank to kids of couple who committed suicide
Bhopal (PTI): Congress leaders have gifted a Rs 5 lakh 'gullak' (piggybank) to the children of a couple who committed suicide after accusing the ED and some BJP members of harassment in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district.
They said the gesture was in keeping with sentiments of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, to whom these children had gifted their piggybank when he visited the state as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Former minister Sajjan Singh Verma, state Congress media department's chairman Mukesh Nayak and other party leaders reached Ashta town in Sehore district on Tuesday to meet the two children of the deceased businessman Manoj Parmar and his wife Neha.
They presented the kids a piggybank of Rs 5 lakh.
Talking to reporters in Ashta town, Verma said "As per sentiments of respected Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has fulfilled its duty by gifting a piggybank to the children and will support them in their hour of crisis and grief. We will also take the responsibility of their education and other needs."
He slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for doing politics on the issue instead of sympathising with the children.
The couple's children had gifted their piggybank to Gandhi during his foot march and were fondly called a "gullak team," said Congress leaders.
Manoj Parmar and his wife were found hanging at their home in Ashta town on last Friday.
In a purported suicide note that surfaced on social media, Parmar alleged he was being harassed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and BJP leaders. Parmar also urged Gandhi and other Congress leaders to take care of his two school-going children.
State minister Prahlad Singh Patel had rubbished the allegations that the ED and BJP leaders harassed the couple.
According to the ED, its Bhopal zonal official carried out searches on December 5 at four premises in Sehore and Indore districts in connection with a matter of Parmar and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The search covered residential premises of the key persons who were beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime or actively aided or abetted such persons in a bank fraud case, the ED had said in a statement, claiming to have recovered incriminating documents.
As per the ED's statement, the agency launched an investigation based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Parmar and a senior branch manager of state-run bank PNB.
