Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Urges PM Modi to Release Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore Dues from Coal Companies
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Central government to release Rs 1,36,042 crore pending as of March 2022, payable to the state exchequer from coal companies operating in Jharkhand.
Soren posted the letter on social media platform ‘X’ on September 23. In his post, Soren stated, “We were not asking for special status like the BJP-allied states, nor are we asking for a bigger share of the Union budget like some states – just give us our rights, that’s our demand.”
He further wrote, “If you demand the rights of the people of Jharkhand, they put you in jail, but for our rights, any sacrifice is acceptable.” Soren emphasized that the demand is for “justice, not for privileges.”
“The people of Jharkhand have fought a long struggle for their state, and now we want proper use of our resources and rights,” he wrote. “We will use our outstanding amount of Rs 1.36 lakh crore to take Jharkhand on a new path of development – a development that protects the interests of our environment, tribals, and every Jharkhandi community. We will improve education and health services so that our children have a bright future. We will better protect our language and culture so that our identity remains intact and we will provide new dimensions of employment to our youth – and in the absence of that, we will give them a fair allowance,” Soren added.
He urged the government to take a decision on the funds soon, adding that the central government should become a ‘partner’ of the state. “The central government should take a decision on our rights and our money soon and should not become an obstacle in the development of Jharkhand but should become a partner. We will fight for our rights, no matter how many difficulties we have to face for this,” Soren stated in his post.
“It is the duty of every person born on the soil of Jharkhand to protect the interests of his state and we will unite and raise our voice for our rights, fight and take our rights like our ancestors,” he added.
Doubts Revealed
Jharkhand -: Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It is known for its rich mineral resources, including coal.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in a state in India.
Hemant Soren -: Hemant Soren is the current Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He is a political leader who works for the development of the state.
PM Modi -: PM Modi refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is the head of the government of India.
Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore -: Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore is a large amount of money. In Indian numbering, ‘Lakh’ means 100,000 and ‘Crore’ means 10 million. So, Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore is 1,36,000,00,000 rupees.
Coal Companies -: Coal companies are businesses that mine and sell coal. Coal is a type of fossil fuel used for energy.
Dues -: Dues are amounts of money that are owed or need to be paid. In this case, coal companies owe money to the state of Jharkhand.
Development -: Development means making improvements in areas like education, health services, and employment to make life better for people.
Central Government -: The central government is the national government of India, which makes decisions for the entire country.
