Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has once again written a letter to Union Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi requesting the State's rightful share of the additional levy collected from the state's coal block allottees.
The chief minister said that the eight companies that have been allocated coal blocks in the state should immediately make available to the state government for effective implementation of coronavirus lockdown measures the additional levy of Rs 4,140.21 crore being deposited into the coal ministry.
Referring to his letter sent on January 23, Baghel said the state government had previously demanded an additional levy of more than Rs 4,140.21 crore deposited by eight former coal blocks allocated to the Center out of the total blocks canceled at the rate of Rs 295 per metric ton for mining. Yet, the state has yet to obtain information on the action taken in this regard by the Union Coal Ministry.
Baghel also referred to the opinion given by the State Government in response to a letter dated 27 August 2015 from the Union Coal Ministry. In this regard, he also stated the order issued by the Supreme Court, stating that the additional and required amount of levy would ultimately be payable to the State Government.
In his letter, Baghel contends that, in compliance with the Constitution, the Coal Mines Act (Special Provisions), the Mines and Minerals Act 1951, the Mineral Concession Rules 2016 and the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code, the state government has the right to raise royalties, levies and other mineral taxes. He added there is a clause in favor of the state government as well.
The chief minister stressed that the state government has the right to receive the amount of additional levy deposited by the former coal block allottees to the Coal Ministry at Rs. 295 per metric ton.
Baghel said Chhattisgarh has also been under lockdown over the last one and a half months to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. Throughout the state many preventive steps for the prevention of the infection have been introduced. As a result, there have been only 59 positive cases of the corona in the state so far. 43 people in the state have recovered from coronavirus and 16 are currently under treatment.
The state government took urgent measures to avoid infection with the coronavirus. It has also taken steps to prevent the migration of state workers, provide health and food grains to state-owned workers, and examine the arrangement for the movement of people from other states in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Indian Government.
The chief minister said that having the State's rightful share of the additional levy sum would help the state government work harder and more efficiently in the state's public interest during the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Baghel has sought action from the Union Coal Minister to provide the additional levy sum of around Rs 4140.21 crore in the interest of the State as soon as possible.
