BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the Assembly session beginning Tuesday, leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD president Naveen Patnaik urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to bring a unanimous resolution seeking the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, which he said strips Odisha of its constitutional right to levy taxes on its mineral wealth.
In a letter, his second on the issue, Naveen said it was the CM’s responsibility to call a special session of the Assembly and bring a unanimous resolution demanding the reversal of the Central legislation, which he said would cause significant financial losses to Odisha and erode its constitutional rights.
The BJD, Naveen said, would always stand with the government on matters relating to the rights of Odisha and the future of its youth.
The LoP said the MMDR Amendment Act strips the state of its constitutional right to levy taxes on mineral wealth and claimed that the 20 BJP MPs supported the legislation against the people of the state. “This is what mine owners wanted and had been fighting for,” his letter said.
The former chief minister said the state’s right to impose taxes on mineral wealth and mineral-bearing lands had been challenged in the courts by mining companies, but the BJD as well as BJP governments fought against it. “Under your direction, the Advocate General of Odisha had placed the state’s position before the court, including the serious financial implications for Odisha if its power to levy taxes on minerals and mineral-bearing lands was taken away,” the letter added.
The sustained efforts secured justice for Odisha, and the Supreme Court judgement upheld the stand taken by the state against the claims of the mining companies, he said. It opened the way for recovery of crores of rupees in past dues and a minimum recurring revenue of Rs 12,000 crore every year, which could have profound financial implications for development and securing a better future for the youth.
After all that, Naveen said, the MMDR Amendment came as a shock and would take away the constitutional rights of the state.