The Supreme Court will hear the long-pending case concerning the demand for an elected local body in Jamshedpur on 15th October 2025. The matter, known as the Industrial Township case, was filed by human rights activist Jawaharlal Sharma, who has been seeking voting rights and local self-governance for Jamshedpur residents for more than three decades. The hearing has been listed before the bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Bagchi.
Also Read: Jamshedpur Administration to Start Land Verification Ahead of Tata Steel Lease Renewal
State and Tata Steel Yet to Submit Replies
According to the petitioner, the State Government and Tata Steel were previously directed by the court to file their responses in the matter but have not yet done so. Sharma claimed that while Tata Steel has submitted a compilation of old documents, neither the company nor the Jharkhand Government has filed a formal reply. He alleged that such delays are deliberate attempts to mislead the court and prolong the matter. The case, listed as item numbers 27 and 27.1, returns to the Supreme Court’s docket nearly two and a half months after its last hearing.
Also Read: Tata Steel Asked to Share BTA and Encroachment Details Ahead of Lease Renewal
Decades Old Demand for Third Voting Right
The dispute traces back to 1988, when Sharma first approached the Supreme Court demanding that Jamshedpur residents be granted a “third vote” in addition to the Lok Sabha and Assembly for electing their municipal representatives. The matter grew complex after the Jharkhand Government issued a notification on 29th December 2023, declaring the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) region as an industrial township, effectively excluding it from the purview of a municipal corporation.
Also Read: Tata Sons Board Extended Chandrasekaran’s Tenure, Breaking Retirement Convention
Sharma contends that successive Governments and political parties have avoided resolving the issue to protect existing lease agreements and industrial interests. With the Supreme Court set to take up the matter once again, the verdict could determine whether Jamshedpur continues as a company administered industrial township or transitions into a democratically governed civic body, a question that has remained unanswered for nearly 37 years.
Also Read: DC Said, CCL and Tata Mines Becoming Hubs of Coal Smuggling
Join the WhatsApp Group of Business Jharkhand to Stay tuned for all the latest updates of industrial-political developments in Jharkhand.
