INDIA bloc to protest against MMDR Amendment Act in Odisha from today

Bhubaneswar, Aug 24 (IANS) Intensifying their opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Odisha government over the MMDR Amendment Act, the Congress-led INDIA bloc has announced to hit the streets against the amendment from Monday.

The alliance will hold rallies and torchlight processions across the state to raise public awareness about the adverse impact of the legislation.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the representatives from all political parties of the INDIA bloc held here on Sunday.

Expressing their opposition to the amendment, the opposition leaders alleged that the Central government has caused massive damage by pushing the future of children in a poor state like Odisha into darkness through this Bill.

They also accused the BJP-led Central government of snatching away the fundamental rights of the people of Odisha.

The political parties also warned that if the Odisha government fails to withdraw the MMDR Bill, they will take a major decision to call for an ‘Odisha Bandh’ (statewide shutdown) in September.

Notably, the Congress Legislature Party on Saturday met the Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, demanding that a special session of the Assembly be convened to discuss the MMDR Bill, which it claimed is against the interests of the state.

The Congress on Sunday strongly criticised the BJP-led state government after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling rejected its demand for a special session of the State Assembly.

Former MLA and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Vice-President (Organisation) Santosh Singh Saluja said that it was highly unfortunate that Minister Mahaling had rejected the Congress demand for a special session on the MMDR Bill.

He said that following the passage of the Bill, the state would lose annual revenue of around Rs 10,000 crore or more, besides suffering losses of lakhs of crores of rupees in outstanding revenue.

“After coming to power in the name of “Odia Asmita”, the government was handing over all of Odisha’s wealth and resources, including water, forests, land, mines and mineral resources, to the Central government,” Saluja alleged.

He said that the Congress had already prepared its strategy under the leadership of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das to oppose the MMDR Bill.

The senior Congress leader also declared that agitation and demonstration programmes will be organised from the state capital to the panchayat level, and in the coming days, the houses of all BJP MPs will also be ‘gheraoed’.

–IANS

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