Ranchi, Sept. 16: The state government today indicated it would not accept Tata Steel’s demand of fresh mining leases as a pre-condition to going ahead with its proposed 12MTPA steel plant at Tontoposhi in Jamshedpur as per a 2005 MoU.

Reacting to the steel behemoth’s threat to dump the plan if fresh leases weren’t allotted, a senior official close to the chief minister questioned the company’s need for new mines even before setting up the proposed plant.