Amid student agitation, JMM trains focus on Mining Bill; Hemant Soren seeks PM’s intervention
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA Ranchi, August 14: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has decided to make the Centre’s proposed changes to the…
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, August 14: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has decided to make the Centre’s proposed changes to the mining law a major political issue in Jharkhand, even as the Hemant Soren government continues to face sustained pressure from protesting students demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking reconsideration of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, while the JMM Central Committee has called an expanded meeting in Ranchi on August 20 to discuss the prevailing political situation arising from the Centre’s legislation.
The developments come at a politically sensitive time. The student agitation, which began on July 25 over alleged irregularities in JPSC, JSSC and other recruitment examinations, has continued despite several rounds of talks with the government. Students have remained firm on their demand for a CBI investigation, saying they have lost confidence in the ongoing state-level probe.
The BJP has backed the students’ agitation and has also been pressing for a CBI inquiry.
JMM calls expanded meeting on August 20
Against this backdrop, the JMM Central Committee has convened an expanded one-day meeting at Sohrai Bhawan in Ranchi on August 20 at 10.30 am.
The meeting will be attended by district presidents, district secretaries, district coordinators, Mahanagar presidents and secretaries, according to the party’s August 14 office order.
The agenda includes a discussion on the current political situation arising from the legislation passed by the Centre concerning Jharkhand, besides a review of organisational restructuring from the central level to the grassroots. The party will also discuss the overall organisational situation and take decisions accordingly.
The timing of the meeting is significant because the ruling party is facing criticism from sections of the student community over the handling of the recruitment controversy.
Soren writes to PM over MMDR Bill
In his seven-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Soren has urged the Centre to reconsider the MMDR Amendment Bill, particularly its provisions that, according to the state government, could restrict Jharkhand’s power to impose taxes, cess or other levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land.
The Chief Minister has raised constitutional and federal concerns and referred to the Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment in the Mineral Area Development Authority case. He has argued that the constitutional powers of states over taxation of land containing mines and quarries need to be protected.
Soren has also defended the Jharkhand Mineral Bearing Land Cess Act, 2024, saying the state enacted the law through its legislature and intends to use the proceeds for healthcare, education, social security, rural infrastructure, drinking water and other developmental purposes.
‘Mining revenue critical to Jharkhand’s fiscal capacity’
The Chief Minister’s letter argues that Jharkhand’s mineral resources cannot be viewed merely as an economic asset because mining has also imposed social and environmental costs, including displacement, land alienation, pollution and pressure on local infrastructure.
Citing the state’s Economic Survey for 2025-26, Soren says mining-related revenue accounted for approximately 84.9% of Jharkhand’s own non-tax revenue in 2024-25. He further states that the Mineral Bearing Land Cess was expected to generate approximately ₹11,000 crore annually.
According to the Chief Minister, any abrupt reduction in this fiscal resource could affect welfare, development and social-security programmes and have wider consequences in mining-affected areas.
The letter also objects to the proposed retrospective invalidation of certain unpaid or unrecovered levies, arguing that this could affect legitimate statutory dues arising from laws enacted by the states.
Soren has already announced agitation against Bill
Notably, Soren yesterday announced a statewide agitation against the MMDR Amendment Bill, signalling that the government’s opposition is likely to move beyond correspondence with the Centre.
Soren has described the legislation as a threat to Jharkhand’s rights over its mineral resources and warned of a wider movement if the Bill is not withdrawn. The JMM has also indicated that the issue will be taken up politically.
In his letter, however, Soren has also proposed an alternative course if the Centre decides to proceed with the legislation. He has suggested that the proposed restriction under Section 9D be confined to “mineral rights” falling under Entry 50 of the State List, while its application to mineral-bearing land under Entry 49 be omitted. He has also sought consultation with mineral-producing states before imposing conditions or restrictions.
Students remain focused on CBI probe
While the JMM and the state government have put the mining Bill and Jharkhand’s fiscal powers at the centre of their latest political campaign, the student agitation continues to revolve around a different issue — alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The protesters have demanded a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations, along with greater transparency and accountability in the recruitment system. They have rejected the government’s existing investigative mechanism as insufficient and have continued their agitation despite assurances and talks.
The agitation intensified after the August 10 Assembly march, when protesters and police clashed. The BJP subsequently stepped up its support for the movement and reiterated its demand for a CBI investigation.
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das has also backed the protesters and warned that he would launch a hunger strike if the state government does not recommend a CBI probe within the stipulated period.
Two separate issues, one widening political contest
The two developments therefore represent separate but increasingly intertwined political fronts for the Hemant Soren government.
The students’ agitation is centred on recruitment examinations, alleged irregularities and their demand for an independent CBI investigation. The BJP has used the issue to intensify its attack on the state government while supporting the protesters.
The JMM, meanwhile, is preparing to politically mobilise against the Centre’s mining legislation, with Soren arguing that the proposed changes could constrain Jharkhand’s fiscal space and affect its ability to fund welfare and development programmes.
Whether the mining Bill becomes a broader political mobilisation in Jharkhand while the student agitation continues will be closely watched. For the state government, the immediate challenge is to address the students’ demand for accountability while simultaneously pursuing its constitutional and fiscal objections to the Centre’s mining legislation.
The August 20 JMM meeting could provide a clearer indication of how the ruling party intends to balance these competing political pressures.
