Bhubaneswar, August 15: Naveen Patnaik, the leader of the opposition and president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), expressed serious concerns on Friday regarding the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill. He urged Chief Minister Mohan Chandra Majhi to convene an emergency session of the Odisha Assembly to pass a resolution opposing this amendment.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Patnaik stated that this legal measure poses a significant threat to Odisha’s financial autonomy and its constitutional rights over natural resources.
He highlighted that BJD MPs had strongly opposed this bill in the Rajya Sabha, labeling it a serious violation of the state’s financial rights.
Patnaik alleged, “The provisions included in this bill will severely impact mineral-rich states like Odisha, leading to substantial revenue losses and hindering our state’s development agenda.”
The BJD chief claimed that the amendment, which brings ‘mineral-rich land’ under the central government‘s control in addition to regulating mines under Section 2, raises concerns about encroachment on the state’s land and financial jurisdiction.
He pointed out that the amendment under Section 9D limits the revenue powers of states. It explicitly prohibits them from imposing any tax, levy, or similar charges on mineral rights or mineral-rich land, based on quantity, value, or royalty, except under conditions set by the central government.
The opposition leader emphasized that the amendment in Section 13 grants the central government exclusive authority to create rules that restrict state governments’ power to tax minerals.
Patnaik asserted, “Odisha’s natural wealth belongs to its people, and the revenue from mining is crucial for health services, education, social welfare programs, and infrastructure development across the state. By stripping the state of its power to levy taxes and levies on mineral-rich land, the central government has dealt a severe blow to federalism and the state’s revenue autonomy.”
He urged Chief Minister Majhi to immediately convene an all-party meeting to build consensus for protecting Odisha’s federal rights and mineral revenue. Additionally, he demanded a special session of the Odisha Assembly to unanimously pass a resolution opposing this amendment act and the central government’s encroachment on state powers.
Patnaik stressed that this issue transcends political engagement, as it directly affects Odisha’s financial stability and future development.
He further stated, “If the central government takes away the state’s rights over mineral-rich land and its authority to levy taxes, Odisha will be left with only pollution, displacement, and the burden of mining, while the benefits will be stripped from its people.”
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