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MMDR Amendment assaults J’khand’s mineral rights, revenue: Cong
Jharkhand Congress leader Keshav Mahto criticized ex-CM Raghubar Das for backing a law he claims undermines state rights over mineral wealth, calling for accountability.
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Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister Raghubar Das regarding his statement supporting the MMDR Amendment Bill stating that describing a law, which undermines the state’s constitutional and financial rights over its mineral wealth, as being in the “state’s interest” is an attempt to mislead the public.
In a statement, Mahto said that Raghubar Das should first explain the actual benefits the state and its people derived from Jharkhand’s mineral wealth during his tenure and why conditions in mining-affected areas remained unchanged.
“If the BJP truly cares so much about Jharkhand’s mineral wealth, it must clarify where the concrete guarantees lie regarding states’ rights, the Mineral Bearing Land Cess, and the protection of mineral revenue following the MMDR amendment. Merely stating that “states receive 90 percent of the payment” does not answer the real question. The core issue is why the Centre seeks to curtail the states’ revenue rights and policy-making capabilities through legislation,” Mahto said.
The State Congress President added that while Raghubar Das speaks of “transparent legal mining,” he should also reflect on his own tenure. “Jharkhand’s mineral wealth is not the private property of the BJP or the Central Government; it is the natural wealth of the people of Jharkhand, including its tribal and indigenous communities. Revenue generated from its exploitation should be utilized for the state’s development, education, healthcare, employment, and the rehabilitation of mining-affected areas,” he added.
Mahto further stated that the BJP is misleading the public by presenting only half-truths regarding the CESS as high costs associated with Jharkhand’s minerals pose a problem. The solution lies not in undermining the state’s statutory rights, but in changing central policies that deprive mineral-producing states of fair economic benefits, the Congress leader argued.
Addressing allegations concerning the DMFT, Keshav Mahto Kamlesh asserted that the DMFT is not a personal achievement of the BJP government but a system established under the law. He stated that before citing DMFT figures, Raghubar Das should explain why people in mining-affected areas did not receive clean water, better healthcare, or employment during his tenure as Chief Minister.
The Jharkhand Congress unit claimed on Tuesday that the newly amended Act will cause the state exchequer a loss of ₹14,000 crore, impacting various social welfare schemes, particularly the women-centric ‘Maiyan Samman Yojana’.
