Will halt coal mining if Centre, companies do not pay dues: CM Hemant

Ranchi: In a stern warning to the Centre, chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday said his govt would take a tough stand, including taking a legal recourse and forcing coal public sector units operating out of Jharkhand to shut down their mining operations if no sincere efforts were made to clear its coal-related dues.Speaking at JMM's 53rd foundation day function in Dhanbad, Hemant said, "We have been getting a step-brotherly treatment for centuries and this has to stop now. If we take a tough step, then the whole country will plunge into darkness."He further said, "Our coal-related dues are to the tune of Rs 1.36 lakh crore. Whenever we demanded our share, the Centre said there were no outstanding dues. Even their MPs from the state remain tight-lipped in Parliament. We have started writing letters. If required, we will take a legal recourse. And if needed be, the coal mines will be closed," he said.Hemant also revealed that Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy, who held meetings with him last month, had asked him to slash the price of land which needs to be acquired by coal companies for mining. "He told me that our rates are higher than other states and we must slash the rates. I refused and told him that if they were interested, they would have to acquire land at existing rates," he added.Like his speech at the party's foundation day function in Dumka two days ago, Hemant criticised the Centre's budget and said a chunk of it would be used to pay up the loans. "They are fooling people with lofty words," he claimed.Stating that he was frustrated with the nexus of land sharks and govt officials across the state in shady land deals, the CM announced that his govt would soon launch a crackdown. "All BDOs and COs (circle officers), who are hand in glove with the land sharks, will be arrested and put in jails and they would be removed from service," he added.