All Party Meet at New Delhi: BJD raises non-revision of coal royalty issue for Odisha

New Delhi: The Biju Janta Dal (BJD) has demanded the enhancement of coal royalty to Odisha and special category status for the State at the all-party meeting in New Delhi prior to the Parliamentary session on Sunday.

The party, which has nine Rajya Sabha MPs, has also raised other demands, besides turning the spotlight on coal royalty. “The second issue (raised on the floor of the all-party meet) is the non-revision of the coal royalty to Odisha over the last 10 years…” said BJD MP Sasmit Patra.

Earlier in 2022, the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre had turned down Odisha’s demand for enhancement of royalty on coal. “The issue raised by Odisha for enhancing rate of royalty from 14 per cent to 20 per cent was discussed during the Eastern Zonal Council meeting held at Bhubaneswar on February 28, 2020. After deliberations the issue was decided to be dropped,” the then Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Prahlad Joshi, had informed Rajya Sabha.

The Centre had stated that there was no mandatory rule according to Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation Act) to revise the coal royalty in every three years.

According to the Ministry of Coal, royalty is paid directly by coal companies to the concerned coal bearing States. Central government has no role in collection of royalty, the ministry claims. Companies paid coal royalty from Rs 2139.45 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 2700.21 crore in 2021-22 to Odisha, a Ministry of Coal data cited. In 2011-2012, Odisha had got Rs 1045.92 crore as coal royalty.

‘More than 162 communities in Odisha deprived of ST status’

The state’s Opposition party has also sought ST status for various communities in Odisha for the welfare of tribal people. “More than 162 communities in Odisha have been deprived of ST status,” Sasmit said.

The former BJD government had sent 169 proposals to the Centre for inclusion of these communities to the ST category. In 2022, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also written to the tribal affairs minister at the Centre in this regard.

BJD’s other demands at all-party meet

The party also raised the issue of ‘declining central transfers of funds to the states’. “More than 20 lakh houses have not been provided to the state of Odisha with regards to the rural housing schemes. The coastal highway is not yet built in the state. Odisha is also deprived of connectivity, banking, railways and other telecommunication,” said the BJD MP while interacting with reporters after the all-party meeting.