Supreme Court to Hear Jamshedpur Township Case on October 15

State Government and Tata Steel Yet to File Replies Despite Court Order

Key Points:

• Hearing on Jamshedpur’s civic body and third voting rights case on Oct 15
• Supreme Court had directed Jharkhand and Tata Steel to file responses
• Petitioner alleges deliberate delay and attempt to mislead the court

JAMSHEDPUR – The long-pending case on granting Jamshedpur residents third voting rights and the formation of an elected civic body will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on October 15.

The matter, listed as item number 27 and 27.1, will be heard by a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Bagchi. The case involves three parties — petitioner and human rights activist Jawaharlal Sharma, the Jharkhand government, and Tata Steel.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the state government and Tata Steel to submit their respective replies. However, according to Sharma, neither party has filed a formal response yet. He claimed Tata Steel only submitted a compilation of past documents, which, he alleged, was an attempt to “create confusion before the court.”

The petitioner further alleged that no government or political party appears willing to grant Jamshedpur residents their third franchise right. “Everyone seems focused on the lease agreement issues instead of citizens’ democratic rights,” he remarked.

This legal battle dates back to 1988 when Sharma first approached the Supreme Court demanding voting rights for residents of the industrial township. Over the years, the case has expanded to include the question of whether Jamshedpur should remain an industrial township or be converted into a municipal corporation.

The issue gained renewed importance after the Jharkhand government issued a notification on December 29, 2023, declaring the entire Jamshedpur Notified Area as an industrial city. The upcoming hearing is expected to determine the future governance model of the steel city.