34 Coal Blocks, Only 4 Operational; Just 6 of 15 Iron Ore Mines and 17 of 37 Bauxite Mines Running: Raghubar Das
Ranchi, August 26, 2026: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das questioned the state government over the utilisation of mineral resources and the operation of mines in the state. He said that despite approval from the Central Government to operationalise 34 coal blocks in Jharkhand, only 4 have started operations so far, while 30 remain non-operational. He also said that only 6 out of 15 iron ore mines and 17 out of 37 bauxite mines are currently operational.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office, Raghubar Das said that if all the approved coal blocks and mines had been operationalised on time, Jharkhand could have benefited significantly in terms of revenue, employment and industrial activity. He described the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, as being in the interest of both the state and the nation and alleged that the JMM and Congress were misleading people by misinterpreting the legislation.
Das said the amendment aims to make legal mining more transparent, increase investment and production, and ensure greater economic benefits for the state from its mineral resources. He said nearly 90 per cent of the total taxes and statutory payments from the mining sector go directly to the states and that this system will continue.
Raghubar Das Questions Opposition to Rs 11,000 Crore Cess
The former Chief Minister said the issue was not merely about the Rs 11,000 crore cess, but about whether financial uncertainty should be created in a way that affects investment, production, employment and industrial development in the state. He said strengthening legal mining and making the supply chain transparent could also help curb illegal mining.
DMFT Collection of Rs 18,250 Crore, Over Rs 7,915 Crore Unspent
Raghubar Das also questioned the utilisation of DMFT funds by the state government. He claimed that around Rs 18,250 crore has been collected under DMFT, of which more than Rs 7,915 crore remains unspent. According to him, 2,487 projects have become stalled.
Giving district-wise figures, he said Rs 2,393.58 crore in Dhanbad, Rs 1,802.82 crore in Chaibasa, Rs 1,055.40 crore in Chatra, Rs 527.88 crore in Pakur and Rs 518.82 crore in Ramgarh had not been spent.
Das said that despite the availability of DMFT funds, people in mining-affected areas continue to face shortages of medicines, medical equipment and basic facilities such as clean drinking water.
Odisha Revenue Target Rs 60,000 Crore, Jharkhand Rs 18,844 Crore
Raghubar Das said Odisha has set a revenue target of Rs 60,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26, while Jharkhand's target is Rs 18,844 crore. He claimed that Odisha's revenue efficiency is around three times higher than Jharkhand's because of its faster auction and mine-operationalisation process.
Coal Production Decline
The former Chief Minister, citing government figures, said coal production in Jharkhand stood at 44.78 million tonnes during April-July of 2024-25, but declined to 37.25 million tonnes during the corresponding period of 2025-26.
He said a decline in legal mining directly affects the state's legitimate revenue.
Jharkhand Coal and Iron More Expensive
Das said cess has made coal and iron from Jharkhand more expensive. According to the figures cited by him, Grade 8 to Grade 12 coal costs Rs 2,045 to Rs 3,212 per tonne in Jharkhand, compared with Rs 1,514 to Rs 2,681 per tonne in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
For iron of the same quality, he cited a price of Rs 8,284 per tonne in Jharkhand, compared with Rs 7,493 in Odisha and Rs 7,422 per tonne in Chhattisgarh.
26 Mining Leases Expired in Six Years
Raghubar Das said 26 mining leases had expired in Jharkhand over the past six years. He said timely and transparent auctions could have generated billions of rupees in additional revenue through auction proceeds, royalty and premiums, while also creating employment opportunities for local youth.
He also said that the lease of a Tata company mine had expired and the mine had been awaiting approval for around three months.
Allegations Over Illegal Mining
Raghubar Das accused the JMM-Congress government of allegedly allowing illegal coal, sand and stone mining syndicates to operate in areas including Dhanbad, Bokaro, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Sahibganj, Dumka and Shikaripara.
He said strengthening legal mining and creating a transparent supply chain would eliminate the economic advantage enjoyed by illegal mining. According to him, legal mining can generate greater economic activity through royalty, auction premiums, DMFT, employment and downstream industries.
Political Attack on JMM-Congress
Raghubar Das alleged that the opposition to the MMDR amendment by the Congress and JMM was not in the interest of Jharkhand but was aimed at protecting alleged illegal syndicates and sources of black money.
He further alleged that the government was attempting to divert attention from issues concerning students and youth by creating an agitation over the MMDR amendment.
He said the people of Jharkhand were now aware of what he described as the state's "loot system" and were ready to respond to it.
State Media In-charge Yogendra Pratap Singh and State Spokesperson K.K. Gupta were also present at the press conference.
