Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday said the Centre’s Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill would be strongly resisted through democratic, constitutional and legal means as his party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), geared up to launch a statewide agitation against the legislation.Soren chaired a meeting JMM’s extended central committee meeting here to devise a strategy for its agitation. After the meeting, the CM alleged that the Centre had pushed through the amendment without consulting mineral-rich states. He further claimed that the new law will adversely affect Jharkhand’s interests, particularly those of tribals, Dalits, backward communities and other economically weaker sections.“Jharkhand and its people had just begun to move forward when the Union govt, through the amendment to the mining law, dealt a severe blow to a vulnerable state like Jharkhand,” Soren said. “Entire state vehemently opposes this law, and the bill will be strongly resisted through democratic, constitutional and legal means. We will announce our plans very soon,” CM said.Calling the bill unfortunate, Soren said it would have far-reaching consequences for states dependent on mining revenues. “Without any consultation or discussion, the govt made such a change in the MMDR Act during the monsoon session. This will have a very harmful impact on Jharkhand,” he said.Soren questioned how the Centre will compensate the states for the losses that will occur due to the new legislation and said that Jharkhand govt had already submitted an outstanding claim of Rs 1.36 lakh crore from the Centre.“The Centre will no longer compensate for previous losses. This is evident from this law. Through this legislation, a blow has been dealt to ensure that weaker states cannot stand on their own feet in the coming years,” Soren said.The CM further said a string of recent decisions by the Centre have sparked public concern. Referring to the paper leak controversies, delimitation, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls, Soren said these decisions were affecting people from all sections of the society.
