BHUBANESWAR: Congress, Left parties and other allies on Wednesday announced to gherao the State Assembly on September 29 demanding scrapping of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the INDIA bloc constituents held at the Congress Bhavan. President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das said a decision was taken to intensify the agitation. Das said the Amendment will seriously hamper state’s financial interest, compromise rights of people of mining areas and those of tribals. The mineral resources of Odisha and the revenue generated from it should be used for development and welfare of the state, he added.
Das said a programme was also finalised for a statewide agitation on the issue. A state-level convention will be held at Bhubaneswar on September 8 followed by agitations in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Angul and Rayagada districts on September 13, September 17, September 19 and September 21 respectively.