BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday called upon the people of Odisha to come together and oppose the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 which he said, will harm the interests of the state.
In a video message addressed to the people, the former chief minister said Odisha’s economy was in danger as the state’s tax resources will reduce to a great extent due to the amended Bill.
“Every year we suffer losses of thousands of crores of rupees. With this money, many schools, colleges and hospitals could have been built in Odisha. Roads, bridges, power and other infrastructure could have been built and new welfare works could have been undertaken. Farmers and poor people would have benefitted from this money,” Naveen said.
Stating that the land and mines belong to the people, the LoP said his fight to protect the rights of Odisha and its people would continue till his last breath. “What answer will we give to our future generation? What will be the future of Gen Z?,” he questioned and appealed people to join him in the fight.
The BJD president lashed out at the Centre for passing such an important Bill without any discussion in the Parliament. “Only BJD MPs opposed it in the Rajya Sabha. I have written to the chief minister of Odisha opposing the Bill,” he said.
Stating that Odisha has the highest reserves of chromite, bauxite, iron ore, coal and manganese, Naveen said the Bill has snatched away rights of the state over all of these minerals.
“Why can’t we collect tax from our mines for the welfare of our people? Our people will suffer dust and smoke. But Delhi darbar will become prosperous with our resources. We will not allow this to happen,” he said.
Recalling the time when he took charge as the chief minister in 2000, Naveen said Odisha’s economy was in poor condition and the government had to depend on overdrafts.
“However, when the government changed in 2024, we had left a surplus revenue of `50,000 crore. This was possible due to our strong fiscal management. We were able to bring speedy progress with a revenue surplus state. Poverty had decreased. Mining tax played a major role in this rapid development,” he added.
The Congress and Left parties have also opposed the new mining legislation and announced plans to campaign against the Centre on the issue.