Ranchi: Escalating his attack on Centre after the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 by Parliament, chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday announced that soon a statewide agitation will be launched, warning that “the entire nation will witness its scale” if the legislation is not withdrawn.After a virtual meeting of all JMM MPs and MLAs, Soren accused the Centre of attempting to curtail the rights of mineral-rich states.“Minerals belong to Jharkhand, land belongs to Jharkhand, so why should Delhi decide on our rights and entitlements?” he said, describing the proposed legislation as a “black bill” that would deal a severe blow to Jharkhand’s development prospects.The chief minister claimed that the amendment would significantly weaken the state’s financial position and threaten funding for several flagship welfare programmes. He said, “Social security schemes benefiting millions of people, including the Maiya Samman Yojana, Abua Awas Yojana, pensions, education and healthcare initiatives, could face severe resource constraints if the state’s revenue rights over mineral-bearing land were curtailed.”Soren said the JMM would strongly oppose the move and take the campaign to every district, block, panchayat and urban area. “Jharkhand would not hesitate to take decisive decisions if the Centre fails to restore the state’s rightful entitlements,” he warned.Ally Congress too echoed in similar terms, stating that it would also launch a massive stir till the rollback. The state’s rural development minister and Congress MLA from Mahagama, Deepika Pandey Singh, termed the proposed changes an economic setback for Jharkhand.She said, “The amendment would restrict mineral-rich states from imposing taxes, cess or levies on mineral-bearing land except under conditions prescribed by the Centre. This is part of a larger strategy to weaken the financial capacity of states.”In 2024, the state brought in the Jharkhand Mineral Bearing Land Cess (JMBL Cess). Pandey said that it was distinct from royalty on mineral production and was levied on land containing minerals being extracted.She cited the July 2024 Constitution Bench judgement of Supreme Court in Mineral Area Development Authority versus SAIL case, following which Jharkhand enacted Jharkhand Mineral Bearing Land Cess Act, 2024.Highlighting the significance of the cess, she said, “It generated Rs 1,379 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 7,488 crore in 2025-26, while collections for 2026-27 were estimated at Rs 13,215 crore.” Calling the cess a critical financial pillar for Jharkhand’s development, Pandey demanded that Centre reconsider the proposed amendment.
