Jharkhand assembly passes Bill to levy cess on mined minerals
Jharkhand Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to impose cess on mined minerals to boost the state's revenue. This move follows the Supreme Court's July 25 ruling, which affirmed that the legislative power to tax mineral rights rests with the states.
Mining Minister in-charge Mithilesh Thakur introduced the 'Jharkhand Mineral-Bearing Land Cess Bill 2024', which was approved by voice vote.
The Bill proposes varying tax rates for different minerals on a per-metric-tonne basis: Rs 100 for coal and iron ore, Rs 70 for bauxite, and Rs 50 for manganese ore and other minerals.
AJSU legislator Lambodar Mahto and CPI (ML) legislator Vinod Kumar Singh suggested sending the Bill to a Select Committee due to technical concerns.
Mahto questioned the basis for the cess rates and proposed that revenue from the cess be used for welfare and compensation for displaced people. «I would suggest the government add a provision that the money generated from the cess will be utilised for welfare and displaced people,» he added.
Singh argued that the tax should be based on the market price of minerals rather than weight.
Proposing an amendment in the Bill, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said many things change over time. «So, the state government should have the power that prices could be amended through a notification,» he said.
Minister Thakur emphasised the Bill's importance for Jharkhand, highlighting that the state contributes 40 per cent of the country's mineral resources but remains underdeveloped.
He assured that the
