BJD mounts pressure on BJP government over MMDR amendment act seeking special session of assembly

Former Chief Minister and President of Biju Janata Dal Naveen Patnaik on Sunday (September 20, 2026) urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to pass a unanimous resolution demanding repeal of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2026 ahead of a session of the Orissa Legislative Assembly scheduled to commence from September 22.

In a letter addressed to Mr. Majhi, Mr. Patnaik said, “this amendment effectively strips Odisha of its constitutional right to levy taxes on its mineral wealth. Twenty BJP MPs supported this amendment against the people of Odisha. This is what the mine owners wanted and had been fighting for.”

Calling upon Odisha CM to convene a special session of the Assembly and bring a unanimous resolution seeking the repeal of the MMDR Amendment, the BJD supremo said, “Odisha stands to suffer significant financial losses and faces an erosion of its constitutional rights.”