Jharkhand High Court Offers Relief in Composite User Fee Dispute, Sets August Hearing Date

The Jharkhand High Court has ruled in favor of the petitioners in the composite user fee case, offering temporary relief. The court, presided over by Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar, has scheduled the next hearing for August 6th. The court considered the state government’s response, represented by the Advocate General, and decided to grant temporary relief. The petitioners will be able to obtain permits without paying the fee. The state clarified that even though the fee is displayed on the Jimmus portal, it would not be collected from the petitioners at this time. Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan and advocate Piyush Chitresh presented the state’s case. The petitioners’ counsel, advocates Sumit Gadoia and Indrajit Sinha, argued that the state government is illegally levying a composite user fee of ₹1200 for mining permits. This fee is being added to the Jharkhand Mines and Minerals Portal (Jimmus portal) without proper authorization. The counsel contended that this fee is without legal basis and beyond the government’s authority. The court noted that if the verdict favors the respondents, the fee collection would occur. The High Court had previously instructed the government not to put pressure on the petitioners until the case was resolved, which was reaffirmed in April 2025. Despite this, the mining department issued a notice on June 24, 2025, showing the composite user fee on the portal.