Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 2 : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah visit to to poll-bound Jharkhand, state Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday urged PM Modi and the Union Home Minister to clear Rs 1.36 lakh-crore coal dues to the state.
"Today the Home Minister, tomorrow the Prime Minister is coming to Jharkhand. I once again request him with folded hands to return the outstanding amount of Rs 1 lakh 36 thousand crore of us Jharkhandis. This amount is very necessary for the development of Jharkhand and Jharkhandis," CM Soren said while posting a letter to PM Modi on X.
Hemant Soren also appealed to the BJP colleagues, especially the MPs, to help the Jharkhandis in getting there dues.
"I, Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand, am drawing your attention towards a serious issue which is creating obstacles in the path of the state's development. Our dues from coal companies stand at Rs 1.36 lakh crore," CM Soren wrote in the letter to the PM.
He further said that 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.
"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. 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.
Elections for 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly will be conducted in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.