Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday said that his government would “put up barricades” around coal mines in the state if the central government-owned companies do not clear dues worth Rs 1.36 lakh crore, ANI reported.

“We have demanded payment of Rs 1.36 lakh crore [in dues] to the state from the coal companies and we will take it...This is the state’s right,” he said while addressing the Jharkhand Assembly on Friday.

On Saturday, Soren shared a letter on Twitter that he had written to Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on March 2, about the pending payment. In the letter, he pointed out that under the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, royalty is chargeable for mining in a leased area.

“These coal companies are not paying legitimate demand of revenue to the state, resulting in huge dues to the state from these companies,” Soren wrote.

He said that in spite of repeated consultations with the coal ministry and NITI Aayog, the dues have not been paid.

“As you are aware, Jharkhand is a mineral rich state and coal is the main contributor at 80% to the state’s exchequer,” Soren wrote to Joshi. “Socio-economic development of the state mainly depends on the revenue from these minerals.”