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Centre asks Oppn to support key bills

Last Updated 09 March 2015, 19:42 IST

To bring the Opposition on board in the Rajya Sabha, the Centre has asked them to support coal mines and mines and minerals bills to get more funds collected from the successful auction of natural resources.

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015, and Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015, were passed by the Lok Sabha where the NDA has the majority. Now, the Opposition dominated Rajya Sabha has to clear both the legislations for them to become a law.

Giving a political twist to garner support on the economic reform legislations, a senior Union minister said parties that scuttle bills will be dubbed anti-tribals.

Eight mineral resources rich states, including Opposition ruled West Bengal and Odisha, that stand to benefit from the legislations also have a sizeable tribal population. Among the BJP-ruled states are Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a visiting delegation of TMC leaders headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the state stands to get richer by Rs 1,600 crore just on the account of royalty on coal and minerals mines.

The state will draw additional Rs 11,200 crore from the coal blocks auctioned so far.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley failed to introduce these two bills in the Rajya Sabha on Monday owing to the Opposition’s resistance which was demanding Modi’s statement on release of a Kashmiri separatist leader. 

“My appeal to all colleagues in the Opposition is that the coal ordinance and mines and minerals ordinance ....are two important amendment bills which ensure resources to state governments, where tribals are there...should kindly be considered,” Arun Jaitley said in the Upper House.

The government has tasked different ministers to reach out to the Opposition to address their concerns for smooth sailing of the two bills. For instance, Coal Minister Piyush Goel worked on the BJD which wants the state’s consent to be made mandatory before mining, said sources. 
 
The government has already collected around Rs 200 crore by auctioning 42 out of the 204 coal blocks. Under the earlier system, the states only got royalty, now they will get several crores of rupees in their kitty due to natural resource auction.

A Central minister involved in the process of reaching out to the Opposition said that the parties have been told that large chunk of money due to them will not reach if they do not support both the legislations.

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(Published 09 March 2015, 19:42 IST)

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