Mines

Odisha’s Senior Cong Leader Srikant Jena Appeals To PM To Withdraw Plea On Mining Cess In SC

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Odisha on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Srikant Jen has appealed to him to withdraw the petition filed before the Supreme Court by the Centre regarding the state’s authority on levying cess and taxes on mineral-bearing lands and minerals.

Jena said the Union Government has filed a petition before the Supreme Court to review its landmark judgment of July 25, 2024 and August 14, 2024. This review petition is against Odisha’s interest. The rulings of the Supreme Court allow states to levy taxes and cess on mineral-bearing lands and minerals. Odisha is the leading mineral producer in the country, accounting for nearly half of India’s total mineral production.

“After the Supreme Court judgment, Odisha stands to reclaim approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore in retrospective dues since 2005 which the state can start collecting from April 1, 2026 over a period of 12 years and additionally generate approximately Rs 50,000 crore annually by putting cess and taxes on future mining operations. This would be an economic boost for a state struggling with poverty and backwardness,” he said.

Stating that Odisha remains one of the poorest states and highest in the migration of labourers despite its abundant mineral wealth contributing significantly to the nation, the former Union Minister said this review petition filed by the Centre undermines the rights of the states. Withdrawing the review petition would allow Odisha to fully utilise its resources for its own development and the welfare of its people.

“At one hand, the right and authority of Odisha is being snatched away for levying cess and taxes on mineral-bearing lands and minerals and on the other hand, what is being offered in the overhyped Subhadra Yojana is Rs 27 per day to each beneficiary,” he said.

The review petition filed by the Centre is as good as backstabbing the interest of Odisha and benefits a few industrial houses and mining operators. In the larger interest of Odisha, the review petition should be withdrawn,” he added.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Kumar Vishwas Slammed For His Veiled ‘Ramayana’ Dig At Sonakshi Sinha

Mumbai: After veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, noted poet Kumar Vishwas left netizens irked with his…

18 minutes ago

Massive Fire Engulfs Godown In Bhubaneswar’s Satyanagar

Bhubaneswar: A major fire erupted at a pressure cooker company godown at Satyanagar in Bhubaneswar…

26 minutes ago

Patha Utsav To Be Held In Bhubaneswar On Dec 29, Announces BMC

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday announced that the Patha Utsav, which was…

28 minutes ago

‘Pushpa 2’ Stampede: We Don’t Have The Strength To Fight, Says Victim’s Husband

Hyderabad: Bhaskar, husband of the 35-year-old woman who died in the Sandhya Theatre stampede in Hyderabad,…

42 minutes ago

Vigilance Nabs Marketing Inspector While Taking Bribe From Contractual Staff In Odisha’s Koraput

Koraput: Vigilance has apprehended a Marketing Inspector for taking a bribe of Rs 7,000 from…

52 minutes ago

Legendary Filmmaker Shyam Benegal Passes Away After Prolonged Illness

Mumbai: Legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal breathed his last at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai on Monday.…

1 hour ago

This website uses cookies.