By IANS
Ranchi : Jharkhand will oppose the new mineral policy of the central government that has been approved by the Group of Ministers (GoM) on mining.
The new mineral policy will strip the power of the state to recommend the mining leases to the central government.
On this issue, the state’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders are on the same platform.
The state government is also planning to seek support from other mineral rich states like Orissa and Chattisgarh. “The chief ministers of the three states are likely to seek time from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and lodge their protest,” said a highly placed source here.
He said “the policy which is in offing will hurt the state government’s policy to allot mining leases to only those companies who commit value addition in the state”.
As per the new policy, the interested parties will directly participate in the auction of mining leases and the state will lose power to recommend the mining leases to the central government. If the new policy is implemented, it will also directly impact the steel industries of the state.
“The new policy will hurt the interest of the state. I have written a letter to the prime minister seeking changes in the policy to safeguard the interest of Jharkhand,” said former finance minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Raghubar Das.
Jharkhand BJP leaders have announced an agitation if the central government goes ahead with the policy.