Jharkhand to form high-level committee for pending dues recovery

Mail News Service

Ranchi, Feb 15: The Jharkhand government has decided to form a high-level committee to address the state’s pending dues of Rs 1.36 lakh crore, including coal royalty and special assistance grants. The committee, comprising senior officials, will work towards recovering the dues through discussions with the Central government. Chief Minister Hemant Soren will provide final consent before negotiations begin. If required, the state government is prepared to pursue legal measures and involve experts to strengthen its case.

Recently, State Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Coal Minister G. Krishna Reddy in Delhi to press for the pending payments. Following the discussion, the Centre assured that necessary steps would be taken, directing officials from the Coal Ministry to coordinate with Jharkhand’s administration. The state government has emphasized that Rs 2,900 crore is owed in coal royalty from excavation projects, which is not linked to any private company.

Apart from coal royalty, the Jharkhand government has also raised concerns over the declining grant-in-aid from the Centre. While the state expected Rs 16,961.35 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, it has only received Rs 4,808.89 crore till December 2024. The pattern of reduced funding has persisted over the years, affecting Jharkhand’s financial resources.

Additionally, the state has pending dues of Rs 32,000 crore related to environmental clearance and Rs 31,01,142 crore from land acquisition cases, bringing the total outstanding amount to Rs 1,36,042 crore. The newly formed committee will take necessary steps to ensure these claims are addressed efficiently.