Chief Minister Hemant Soren today expressed happiness over the Supreme Court's decision to retain the states' right to levy tax on mines and mineral-rich land. Soren described the decision as a big victory.

In a post on popular microblogging website X, he said, “Our continuous demand has been successful with the Supreme Court's historic decision. Now Jharkhand will get Rs 1 lakh 36 thousand crore of arrears from the Center. Your government was constantly raising its voice regarding this dues and rights of every Jharkhandi. Now we will get the arrears of mineral royalty from the year 2005. This payment will be made in a phased manner in 12 years. Along with the rights of the state residents being protected, this money will be used in public welfare, and every Jharkhand resident will get full benefit of it.”

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Center's petition to implement its decision of July 25 with future effect, in which the legislative right of the states to levy tax on mines and mineral-rich land was retained.

The Apex court allowed the states to collect royalty from April 1, 2005 onwards. A nine-member Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that the plea to implement the order of July 25 with future effect is rejected.

The bench, however, laid some conditions on the payment of past dues. It said that the Center and mining companies can pay the dues to the mineral-rich states in a phased manner over the next 12 years. However, the bench directed the states not to impose any penalty on the payment of dues.

The Center had opposed the demand to return the royalty imposed on minerals and mineral-rich land since 1989 to the mineral-rich states, saying that it would affect the citizens and according to preliminary estimates, public sector companies (PSUs) would have to withdraw Rs 70,000 crore from their treasury.