THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb 7: BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo, during a press conference at the party headquarters today, accused Chief Minister Hemant Soren of misleading the public by misinterpreting the Supreme Court’s order regarding the payment of outstanding dues to states.
Pratul referred to the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Mineral Area Development Authority vs. Steel Authority of India and Others in August 2024. The court explicitly ruled that the decision applies to all states, including those that were not parties to the case, he added.
He reaffirmed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to ensuring Jharkhand receives its rightful dues. However, he questioned the origin of the ₹1.36 lakh crore figure repeatedly cited by the Chief Minister and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). He pointed out that the state government has included approximately ₹60,000 crore in interest as part of the compensation amount, even though the Supreme Court had prohibited state governments from claiming interest on outstanding dues.
Outstanding dues in 12 installments over 12 years
Pratul emphasized that, according to the judgment, states will receive their outstanding dues in 12 installments over 12 years. He cited Point 27.2 of the Supreme Court order, which specifies that the installment payments will begin on April 1, 2026, and continue until April 1, 2037. He further referred to Point 27.3 of the same judgment, which explicitly states that no interest or penalty will be imposed before July 25, 2024.
He noted that the Chief Minister himself had welcomed this Supreme Court directive on August 14, 2024, expressing gratitude and even posting on social media platform X that Jharkhand would receive the amount in a phased manner over 12 years. Given this, Pratul questioned why the state government, the Chief Minister, and various leaders continue to demand an immediate payment of ₹1.36 lakh crore from the Centre on multiple platforms.
Populist promises
According to Pratul, the Chief Minister had made several populist promises during the elections, requiring an estimated expenditure of over ₹2.5 lakh crore in the next five years. Since the state lacks internal resources to generate this revenue, schemes like Maiyaan Samman Yojana—which initially promised benefits to all eligible women—have now been modified to include eligibility criteria. He argued that the Chief Minister is aware he cannot fulfill these election promises and is therefore fabricating a misleading narrative about the ₹1.36 lakh crore allegedly owed by the Centre.
“This is nothing but an attempt to deceive the people of Jharkhand,” Pratul asserted.
Tariq Imran was also present at the press conference.
