Bhubaneswar: Leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged the people of Odisha to unite against the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill recently passed by Parliament, alleging that it would undermine the state’s financial autonomy and weaken its economy. State steel and mines minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, however, dismissed the concerns, asserting that Odisha’s interests remain fully protected.In a video message, Naveen, who had last week written to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking a special Assembly session on the issue, termed the amendment a “dangerous plot” to weaken Odisha. “This land belongs to us and so do its mineral riches. The people of Odisha will never tolerate any attempt to weaken the state,” Naveen said.Responding to Naveen’s remarks, Jena said the apprehensions were misplaced. He argued that the Narendra Modi govt’s initiatives, including the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) mechanism, have significantly benefited mineral-bearing states such as Odisha. “The state’s interests are fully protected and Odisha will continue to gain from reforms in the mining sector,” Jena added.Claiming that mining revenue played a pivotal role in Odisha’s transformation from a fiscally stressed state to a revenue-surplus one, Naveen said the amendment would deprive Odisha of its rightful control over mineral resources, resulting in substantial revenue losses.He alleged that the Centre pushed the legislation through Parliament without adequate discussion and accused BJP MPs from Odisha of failing to protect the state’s interests.“For 24 years, Odisha’s interests were safeguarded irrespective of which party was in power at the Centre. Today, the state’s financial future is under threat,” he said, reiterating his demand for an all-party meeting and a special Assembly session to discuss the issue.Naveen said reduced mining revenues would affect spending on infrastructure, education, healthcare and welfare programmes. “Why should Odisha bear the environmental costs while others reap the benefits of its mineral wealth?” he asked.The BJD president appealed to people across party lines to oppose the amendment and pledged to continue fighting for Odisha’s rights.
