Chhattisgarh goes to Supreme Court against Rs 4,169 crore levy levied by Center on coal blocks

New Delhi: The Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh government has opened a front against the Center in the Supreme Court. He is seeking an additional levy of Rs 4,169.68 crore from the call block recipients as per the Supreme Court order, which he has sought to be refunded from the Center with 3 per cent interest.

The Chhattisgarh government has filed the petition under Article 131 of the Constitution. Under it, the state has the power to go to the Supreme Court in any case of dispute with the Center. The Supreme Court had on August 25, 2014 ordered that the allotment of 42 coal blocks made by the Center from July 14, 1993 to March 31, 2011 be canceled. This order came into force on March 31, 2015. Even so, mining of coal blocks continued. After that Coal India Limited took over all the coal mines.

The apex court also asked the recipients of the three coal blocks to pay an additional levy of Rs 5 per metric tonne of coal to the public exchequer. Out of these 42 call blocks, eight call blocks come from Chhattisgarh.

As far as these eight call blocks are concerned, the Center is legally responsible to the plaintiff Chhattisgarh government for repaying Rs 4,169.68 crore collected with 24 per cent interest as additional levy. Despite repeated reminders by the Chhattisgarh government, the central government has failed. As a result, the Chhattisgarh government has had to knock on the door of the Supreme Court.

In the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and 2017, the Supreme Court granted Common Cause v. In the case of the Central Government, the States are empowered by the States to collect rent, royalties or taxes from the Central Government. The state government said the Center has consistently retained the funds and has not given them. The state government said the case has been filed to get the defendant to return the funds lying with him with 24 per cent interest.