Odisha BJD Chief Seeks All-Party Meet Over Union Mining Bill

Naveen Patnaik, Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president, has called for an all-party meeting and a special session of the state Assembly. He expressed strong opposition to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, stating that it undermines Odisha's fiscal autonomy and its constitutional rights concerning mineral resources.

Patnaik, in a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, highlighted that the legislation could lead to significant long-term financial consequences for Odisha, a major mineral-producing state. He pointed to specific amendments that he believes restrict the state's authority to generate revenue from mineral-bearing lands. These include changes that expand union control to "mineral-bearing lands" and prohibit state governments from imposing taxes or levies on mineral rights or such lands without central government conditions. Another amendment grants the Centre the power to frame rules that limit states' authority to tax minerals.

According to Patnaik, these provisions represent a blow to cooperative federalism, as they strip states of the power to impose taxes and cesses on their own mineral-bearing lands. He emphasized that the revenue from mining is vital for funding essential services like healthcare, education, social welfare, and infrastructure development in Odisha. Patnaik warned that if the state loses its authority over mineral resources and revenue collection, it could be left to manage the environmental and social impacts of mining while forfeiting a substantial share of the economic benefits.