Request PM, Shah with folded hands to clear Jharkhand's Rs 1.36 lakh-cr coal dues: Hemant
Ranchi (PTI): Ahead of the scheduled visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to poll-bound Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday requested the Centre with folded hands to clear Rs 1.36 lakh-crore coal dues to the state.
Modi is scheduled to address two rallies in Jharkhand on November 4 while Shah will address three public meetings on November 3.
"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," Soren posted on X.
He also appealed to BJP MPs to facilitate clearance of the amount.
"I would also appeal to my BJP colleagues, especially the MPs, to help Jharkhandis in getting our dues," Soren posted on the microblogging site, sharing a copy of a letter to the prime minister.
Soren emphasised that 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".
"I, Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand, am drawing your attention towards a serious issue which is creating obstacles in the path of state's development. Our dues from coal companies stand at Rs 1.36 lakh crore," Soren wrote in the letter to the PM.
"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," he said.
A recent ruling by a nine-judge Supreme Court bench affirmed the state's right to collect its mining and royalty dues.
Soren pointed out that the development of Jharkhand and essential socio-economic projects are getting hampered owing to the non-clearance of dues.
"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.
Last month, he suggested a direct debit from Coal India's account to the state, similar to the arrangements made for Jharkhand State Electricity Board dues to the DVC.
"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 and last mile connectivity are unable to be translated on the ground because of lack of funds," Soren said.
Earlier, he accused the central government of indifference to the state's plight, highlighting the disparity in treatment regarding dues.
The Jharkhand assembly polls will be held in two phases – November 13 and 20.
The counting of votes will take place on November 23.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
