Naveen writes to PM on Coal royalty and compensation for delay
Ad Valorem, Cess, Chief Minister's actions, Coal, Higher Education neglect, Interstate disputes on Water and rivers, Mine royalty and cess, Mining royalty Comments Off on Naveen writes to PM on Coal royalty and compensation for delayFollowing is an excerpt from New Indian Express on this.
… Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has demanded that the royalty be fixed on ad valorem basis.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Chief Minister said that the manner in which the Centre is going to revise the royalty, the State will be a loser. The State has already sustained a huge loss because of two-year delay in the revision.
He urged the Prime Minister to compensate the revenue loss of the State and delete the provision of adjusting the cess collected by the State during payment of royalty. As per the Supreme Court ruling, the collection of cess by the State for the development of the people in the mining areas is justified, he argued.
Under the new ‘hybrid formula,’ the State will get Rs 10 more per tonne of coal which is nothing given the delay in the revision of royalty, he said.
As per the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the Centre is bound to revise royalty on coal and other minerals every three years. The Act provides that the State should be compensated accordingly for the delay in revision of royalty.
The latest revision was made on August 1 after five years, the Chief Minister reminded and urged the Prime Minister to compensate the State for the last two years.
I wonder if Naveen is referring to the supreme court judgment regarding Vedanta where the supreme court asks Vedanta to give 5% of its profits for spending towards tribal development and environmental safe guards.