Bhubaneswar: Stepping up its opposition to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, the BJD on Wednesday staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, urging him to forward its concerns to President Droupadi Murmu and seek withdrawal of the legislation.A BJD delegation, led by senior members Debi Prasad Mishra, Prasanna Acharya and Ranendra Pratap Swain, argued that the amended law would adversely affect Odisha’s fiscal interests by curtailing the state’s rights over mining revenues, outstanding dues and mineral-rich land.During the meeting, the governor sought details on the potential financial impact of the Act on Odisha. The delegation claimed the state stood to lose substantial revenue by limiting its authority over mining rights and mineral-bearing land, besides affecting dues that Odisha became entitled to following a Supreme Court judgment.The BJD delegation referred to the nine-judge Constitution Bench judgment of July 25, 2024, which upheld the powers of states to impose taxes and levies on mines and mineral-bearing land, and permitted recovery of arrears from April 1, 2005. It claimed that, based on the ruling, Odisha was expected to receive more than Rs 1 lakh crore in arrears and about Rs 12,000 crore annually through mining-related taxes and levies.Countering the allegations, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya said the BJD was attempting to mislead people for political gains. “The MMDR Amendment Act will create a level playing field for attracting investments and ultimately benefit mineral-rich states such as Odisha. The legislation is a rational reform that will help Odisha emerge as a more industrialised state,” he said.
