Bhubaneswar: Political row over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) or MMDR Act further deepened in Odisha with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) threatening to launch economic and commercial blockades if the changes are not revoked.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back and accused the opposition BJP of misleading people in a bid to derive political mileage by making false claims.
Addressing a press in Bhubaneswar, BJD MLA and former minister Arun Sahoo launched a scathing attack on BJP, alleging that the amendments have stripped the state of its vital mineral rights and handed control over to the Centre.
The BJD leader claimed that Odisha is set to lose over Rs 1.20 lakh crore in mining revenue dues between 2005 and 2026 following the new measure.
The ex-minister also lashed out at Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for ignoring BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s letter urging a special assembly session and an all-party meeting to discuss the new amendments.
Seeking to know whether investors will continue coming to Odisha now that mineral power has shifted to New Delhi, Sahoo warned that the party will escalate matters through statewide blockades via the Governor’s office if the law is not repealed.
Reacting sharply to BJD’s aggressive stance, senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik dismissed the regional party’s claims as a desperate bid to extract political mileage by misleading people.
Accusing BJD of orchestrating a false narrative to confuse the public after ruling the state for 24 years, Patnaik said the opposition party is merely crying foul out of political frustration.
The BJP leader stated that an economic blockade by the BJD would only harm Odisha’s broader economic interests rather than protect them.
Defending the MMDR amendments, the BJP leader emphasised that while there might be short-term adjustments, the policy will yield long-term gains not just for Odisha, but for the entire nation. The changes will stabilise taxes, attract a larger pool of industrialists and investors to participate in transparent auctions, and ultimately inject massive momentum into the state’s economy, he said.
