Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India] : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded 60 per cent share of clean energy cess levied on coal from the central government. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi met Chief Minister Patnaik on Friday. Union Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines Raosaheb Patil Danve was also present in the meeting. During the meeting, the chief minister raised the issue of clean energy cess and demanded for at least 60 per cent share of the cess collected from Odisha. According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) release, Odisha produced 153.85 million tonnes of coal contributing to about 25 per cent of the country’s production in the year 2020-21. Centre collects Clean Energy Cess at the rate 400 rupees per tonne which amounts to more than Rs 50,000 crore. “Thus 60 per cent of the cess will give Odisha an amount of Rs 30,000 crore which can be utilised for the economic development of coal mining areas and the affected people,” the release said. During the meeting, Chief Minister Patnaik also demanded the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Sundergarh. He said that the integrated campus for a 500-bedded hospital and 100-seated medical college at Sundergarh has been completed by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) but it is yet to be operationalized. Patnaik also requested the union minister for early functioning of MCL Medical College and Hospital at Talcher where infrastructure is ready for long, the release said.
