Bhubaneswar, Odisha Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Sunday rejected the opposition BJD and Congress’ demand for convening a special session of the assembly to discuss the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, recently passed by Parliament.
He said there was no need for a special session as the issue could be discussed during the upcoming Monsoon session, which would be convened soon.
The demand for a special session was made by Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik and Congress Legislature Party leader Ram Chandra Kadam.
Describing the new mining legislation as “anti-Odisha” and harmful to the state’s interests, both leaders wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking a special session and an all-party meeting on the issue.
The Congress criticised the BJP government over the rejection of the demand.
“It is very unfortunate that the minister has rejected the Congress’ demand for a special session on the MMDR bill. The state will lose about Rs 10,000 crore in revenue annually and will also have to bear the loss of lakhs of crores of rupees in arrears,” state Congress vice-president Santosh Singh Saluja said.
The Congress leader alleged that the Centre was seeking control over Odisha’s natural resources, including its water, forests, land and minerals, after coming to power in the state in the name of “Odia Asmita”.
Congress whip Razen Ekka said, “There will be demonstrations in the state, from the state capital to gram panchayats, and the houses of all BJP MPs will also be surrounded in the coming days.”
Describing the BJP as a “party of businessmen”, the BJD questioned the alleged silence of the party’s 25 MPs from Odisha — 20 in the Lok Sabha and five in the Rajya Sabha — during the passage of the MMDR Amendment Bill in Parliament.
Addressing a press conference, BJD’s senior general secretary Pritiranjan Gharai claimed the bill was passed in Parliament without any discussion.
“This will cause extensive losses to Odisha. The revenue from all the mines in the state will go under the control of the central government,” he claimed.
Gharai alleged that BJP MPs from Odisha remained silent when the state’s rights were being taken away and “sacrificed the interests of Odisha for party interests”.
