Jamshedpur: The JMM is gearing up for a major showdown over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed by Parliament last week, with the party planning a mass awareness campaign across the villages and towns of the three districts of mineral-rich Kolhan division against the bill, which is awaiting formal Presidential assent to come into force.Senior party functionaries and elected representatives said the campaign would focus on educating people about the alleged impact of the amended legislation on the state’s revenue, welfare programmes, development projects and schemes aimed at empowering vulnerable sections of society.The party plans to use flagship initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana, scholarships for girls and welfare schemes for women and senior citizens as key points of its campaign. Leaders will explain to people how, according to the party, the implementation of the MMDR Amendment Bill, which reportedly seeks to take away the states’ rights to levy cess or any other tax on major minerals, could affect the state’s ability to fund and sustain such schemes.“The agitation will be strong and effective in all three mineral-rich districts of the Kolhan division. The common people will be our foot soldiers and flag-bearers,” said Chaibasa Lok Sabha MP Jobha Majhi.JMM MLAs Sabita Mahato of Ichagarh and Dashrath Gagrai of Kharsawan also called for a mass movement. “We will not allow the central govt to take away the state’s legitimate share of the minerals extracted from Jharkhand,” Gagrai said.The elected representatives believe the state will lose revenue of about Rs 15,000 crore with the implementation of the amended bill.Seraikela-Kharsawan district JMM president Subhendu said leaders of the Kolhan unit had unanimously decided to launch a multi-phase agitation against the bill, with a public awareness campaign forming the first phase.He warned that the agitation could be intensified by disrupting the transportation of minerals, including iron ore, copper, uranium, manganese and chromium, across the three districts of Kolhan.“Stopping the transportation of minerals will severely affect business establishments and put pressure on the central government,” Subhendu said.Party leaders said chief minister Hemant Soren would chair a meeting of the JMM central committee on Aug 20 to chalk out further modalities in this regard. Notably, the state produces minerals worth roughly Rs 6,700 crore annually, with Kolhan accounting for about 40% of the state’s total mining concentration.
