The Government of Jharkhand has demanded extension in Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation period by five years and at the same time to clear the States outstanding dues of Rs 1.36 lakh crore with the Central Governments coal companies mainly subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL) largely against non-payment of land compensation.
Speaking at the conference of states Finance Ministers chaired by Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, State Finance Minister, Dr Rameshwar Oraon said that the mining companies must ensure that they resort to proper mining closure in order to curb environmental pollution besides checking illegal mining because it is proving fatal for the people living around the mining areas. It is estimated that the State is likely to bear revenue loss of aroundRs 4,500 crore as the State has not been able to earn revenue as per the protected revenue and due to end of the compensation period since July this year. I demand that the compensation period be extended by another five years, he added.
The Minister also requested the Centre Government to provide an airport at Sahibganj where a multi-modal inland riverine port is being developed, besides reducing the contribution of the from 50:50 to 50:20 in construction of rail over bridges as the cost of the land is pay by the State Government. He said that in order to provide some relief to the farmers of the State, the Jharkhand Government also requested the Centre Government to process the request of the State Government to declare 226 Administrative Blocks as drought prone.