Odisha Faces Economic Losses Due to MMDR Amendment Bill, Claims BJD Leader Bhru Baksipatra

Bhubaneswar, August 21: Senior leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bhru Baksipatra, has criticized the central government over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Bill. He accused the government of passing the bill in Parliament without adequate discussion, claiming it would lead to significant economic losses for Odisha. The amendment is said to weaken the state’s rights over its mineral resources, adversely affecting tribal, Dalit, farmer, and labor communities dependent on mining.

In an interview, Baksipatra stated that the MMDR Amendment Bill was passed last week with little serious debate. He noted that the BJD opposed the bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Two days prior, BJD president and former Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, publicly detailed the potential damages the bill could inflict on the state. According to him, mining is the largest source of revenue and employment for Odisha, generating substantial income through mines tax and cess. He emphasized that this income must not be compromised, and both the BJD and the people of Odisha will resist the amendment.

Baksipatra asserted that protesting is a democratic right, and raising concerns about the damage to Odisha is also a state prerogative. He alleged that the BJP’s central mining minister and party MPs accused Patnaik of misleading the public, to which the BJD has clarified its position.

He claimed that the central government’s amendment bill would result in significant economic losses for Odisha. Based on a Supreme Court ruling, it was estimated that Odisha could receive over one lakh crore rupees from mines cess between 2005 and 2024. However, due to the amendment bill, this amount is now at risk of being seized and will not be received by the state. He added that the state government could have recovered this amount but failed to do so.

Baksipatra warned that the amendment bill could lead to annual losses of approximately 12,000 crore rupees for Odisha. He emphasized that this is not merely a financial issue but also a matter of the state’s rights over its mineral resources.

He stated that through the MMDR amendment, control over the state’s land, mines, and minerals would shift to the central government. According to him, the central government has stripped Odisha of its rights, and the BJD will continue to oppose this.

Baksipatra highlighted that mining projects often displace the people of Odisha. He argued that land, water, and electricity belong to the state, and therefore, the state’s rights over mineral wealth should remain intact. He noted that the impact of this decision would be most severe on tribal, Dalit, farmer, labor, and working-class communities, as the income from mining was previously used for their development and welfare.

He also referenced a statement by Union Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, who claimed that Odisha’s mining income surged from 5,000 crore rupees to 50,000 crore rupees after the MMDR law was enacted in 2015. In response, Baksipatra stated that the BJD never opposed the 2015 amendment but welcomed it, as it benefited Odisha and other mining states.

He argued that past gains do not justify the termination of the state’s rights and revenues in the future. He insisted that it is unacceptable for the state to comply with the central government’s demands without question.

Baksipatra concluded, “Delhi cannot own Odisha. This is a point that BJP MPs and ministers from Odisha should understand.”

He accused BJP leaders of engaging in the same practices they once opposed when in the opposition.

In response to BJP’s allegations regarding Odisha’s financial situation, Baksipatra stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the Reserve Bank of India, and the NITI Aayog have recognized Odisha as the state with the highest financial discipline. He asserted that this certification belongs to the people of Odisha, and now the BJP is attempting to deny that record for political reasons.

He noted that when Naveen Patnaik became Chief Minister in 2000, Odisha had a debt of 18,000 crore rupees. He claimed that despite the state budget increasing significantly over 24 years, Patnaik’s government has only borrowed a total of 78,000 crore rupees.

In contrast, he accused the BJP government, under Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, of accumulating a debt of 1,38,000 crore rupees in just two years. He stated that real financial indiscipline is evident during the BJP’s tenure.

Baksipatra urged BJP MPs and ministers to first teach their government and Chief Minister about financial discipline, rather than lecturing the BJD.