RANCHI, Aug. 14 -- The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress went up in arms on Thursday, protesting the amendment to the MMDR [Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)] Act passed by the Lok Sabha (LS) on Wednesday that reportedly seeks to take away the states' rights to levy cess or any other tax on major minerals.

A week after a nine-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled by majority on July 25, 2024, that states have the power to levy tax on mineral-bearing land, the Jharkhand Assembly passed a bill on August 2, to tax all kinds of mined minerals in the state.

Jharkhand is one of the richest states in terms of mineral resources ranging from coal and iron ore to uranium and the new legislation aimed...