BJD chief Patnaik opposes MMDR Amendment; urges Odisha to unite to protect state’s rights

Bhubaneswar, Aug 19 (IANS) Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President, Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday strongly criticised the recent amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act), passed by Parliament, urging the people of Odisha to come together and fight to safeguard the state’s rights.

In a video message, Patnaik highlighted the significant role played by revenue collected through mining tax in the rapid development of Odisha during the 24 years of the BJD-led government’s rule.

The BJD supremo stated that when the BJD came to power in 2000, the state’s economy was in a very poor condition, and the government had to depend on overdrafts.

Patnaik said his BJD government left behind a Rs 50,000 crore revenue surplus in 2024, attributing it to strong fiscal management that enabled rapid development, poverty reduction, infrastructure growth and welfare initiatives.

“Mining tax played a major role in this rapid development. But today, Odisha’s economy is in danger. As you know, recently, an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act was passed in Parliament. This is going to cause significant harm to Odisha and its people,” alleged Patnaik.

He said the important Bill was passed by the Centre without discussion, with only BJD MPs opposing it in the Rajya Sabha. Referring to his letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, LoP Patnaik highlighted his demand for an all-party meeting and a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly to discuss the issue.

“No one is bigger than the interests of Odisha and its people. Today, we have to come together for the interests of our soil and our state,” Patnaik said.

He alleged that the MMDR Amendment Bill has taken away the state’s rights over its mineral resources, noting that Odisha has the country’s highest reserves of chromite, bauxite, iron ore, coal and manganese.

“But the MMDR Amendment Bill has taken away our rights over these resources. Why should we not be able to collect taxes from our own mines for the welfare of our people? Our people will bear the dust and pollution, while the Delhi establishment will prosper from our resources. We will not allow this to happen,” noted the BJD President.

Patnaik criticised the 20 BJP MPs from Odisha for failing to raise their voice on the issue. Patnaik alleged that the amended Bill would substantially reduce Odisha’s tax resources, causing the state to lose thousands of crores of rupees annually, that could otherwise have funded schools, hospitals, infrastructure and welfare programmes for farmers and the poor.

Patnaik questioned whether Odisha could afford such a huge loss and warned that the people of the state would not tolerate any move to weaken it, while raising concerns over its impact on future generations.

“This land is ours. These mines are ours. I will fight to protect our rights. Till my last breath, my fight for the rights of Odisha and its people will continue. I appeal to the people of Odisha to join this fight,” he further added.

Notably, Congress and other Opposition parties in the state have also threatened to intensify protests demanding the withdrawal of the recent amendment to the MMDR Act.

–IANS

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