New Delhi [India], July 29 : Sasmit Patra, a Rajya Sabha member from Biju Janata Dal (BJD), on Monday demanded from the central government a revision in coal royalty for his state Odisha.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour session today, the BJD parliamentarian demanded the revising of coal royalty for Odisha, which he claimed is pending for the past 12 years.
"Odisha is among the top two states in the country that produces maximum coal, which pass the energy security of this country. However, it's sad that despite its strong contribution to power generation, energy security and coal production, its rightful demand for coal revision of royalty has not been done over the last 12 years," Patra said in his brief intervention.
Due to unrevised coal royalty, the BJD MP said Odisha is losing about Rs 10,000 crore per annum.
The rates of coal royalty for Odisha were last revised on May 10, 2012.
He said several demands for revision of coal royalty have been made by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Patra informed the Parliament that on July 21, 2014, a study group was instituted to look into the coal royalty matter.
The study group presented its report and said that revision of coal royalty cannot be done. Typically, royalty is paid directly by coal companies to the concerned coal bearing states.
"Despite that, the BJD government in Odisha at that time kept on taking up this matter and on 28 February 2020, at the Eastern Zonal Council meeting, it was again raised demanding that the revision of coal royalty for Odisha should be increased from 14 per cent to 20 per cent, but the government did not take notice," he complained.
He added that it is because of Odisha's coal that crores of houses in the country are getting power supply.
"Due to Odisha, crores of houses in India today get electricity but it's the same Odisha that loses Rs 10,000 crores towards coal royalty. I'm not trying to make it a political issue. It is a governance issue and it needs to be looked into because it's a people's issue and those who are suffering in Odisha."
He also highlighted the negative environmental consequences of coal mining.
"The water of Odisha gets polluted due to coal mining. The air of Odisha gets polluted due to coal mining. Our roads and infrastructures get destroyed because of thousands of trucks that are used for coal mining. But despite that, over the last 12 years, we have not been provided the rightful coal royalty revision which is costing us 10,000 crores per annum," he noted, as he yet again demanded for a raise in coal royalty for the state.
The additional royalty, he asserted, would support Odisha to set up many schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.
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