Jharkhand High Court Grants Temporary Relief in Composite User Fee Case

The Jharkhand High Court has provided temporary relief to the petitioners in over 100 petitions filed concerning the composite user fee. The court, presided over by Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar, heard the cases and scheduled the next hearing for August 6th. The court took note of the state government’s Advocate General’s response and stated that the petitioners would be granted temporary relief, allowing them to obtain permits without paying the fee. The Advocate General, Rajiv Ranjan, along with advocate Piyush Chitresh, represented the state government and clarified that the fee would not be collected for now, despite its appearance on the Jimmus portal. The petitioners’ counsel, advocates Sumit Gadoia and Indrajit Sinha, argued the case, stating that the government is charging a composite user fee of ₹1200 for issuing permits related to mining activities. They claim this is illegal, as the fee is added to the Jharkhand Mines and Minerals Portal (Jimmus portal) without any valid notification. Advocate Gadoia pointed out that the fee is being imposed without legal basis and is beyond the state government’s authority. The court also noted that if the decision is in favor of the respondents after the hearing, the amount will be collected. Earlier, the High Court had instructed the government not to pressure the petitioners until the hearing concluded, a directive reiterated in April 2025. However, the mining department subsequently issued a notice on June 24, 2025, displaying the composite user fee on the portal.