Jharkhand CM requests Centre for Rs 4,000 cr help for its new capital region in Ranchi

The present government has identified the area for construction of the core capital area that would include Raj Bhavan, Vidhan Sabha, secretariat, High Court and residential areas for officials, judges and other staff. Das has also sought Centre’s intervention in ensuring that the state got at least 20 per cent of royalty share in non-tax revenues like one from coal, bauxite iron ore etc. Das pointed out that the royalty rates for coal was due for review since 2015 and has stood still at 14 per cent. Similarly, the royalty share for iron ore was also stuck at 15 per cent. Further, the state should also get minimum 20 per cent royalty on uranium, copper ore, gold, bauxite and graphite etc, Das requested.

Das, meanwhile, also suggested that the Centre should help in improving the digital infrastructure in the state for better implementation of cashless systems. Additionally, he also requested the Centre to get the banks, particularly government banks, to integrate PDS shops in the state with basic banking services and make them function as banking correspondents. There are 23,000-odd PDS shops in the state and 20,000 of them are using PoS machines to give out the rations. He said that the state was doing its best to shift to a cashless economy, with 63 gram panchayats being declared cashless as of now.