Bhubaneswar: The Opposition INDIA bloc in Odisha Wednesday announced it will gherao the state Assembly September 29 to protest the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) or MMDR Amendment Act.
The decision was taken at a meeting at the Congress Bhavan, with the INDIA bloc leaders describing the new mining legislation as “anti-Odisha” and “anti-tribal”.
Leaders of the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party and RJD attended the meeting.
As part of the campaign against the new law, state-level conventions will be held in Bhubaneswar September 8 and in mineral-rich districts — Keonjhar September 13, Sundargarh September 17, Angul September 19 and Rayagada September 21.
“It has been decided to organise a large public meeting in Bhubaneswar September 29 and to gherao the Assembly,” CPI(M) state secretary Suresh Panigrahy said.
The alliance resolved that it would not allow the state’s mineral resources and rights to be handed over to corporations by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Odisha, he said.
A resolution adopted at the meeting said the rights of the people of Odisha over mineral resources and the revenue generated from them should be used for the development and welfare of the state.
The INDIA bloc appealed to its workers and supporters, mining-area labour unions, farmers, tribals, youth, women’s and transport unions, among others, to join the agitation and turn it into a mass movement.
The alliance said the agitation would continue with a demand for repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, and protection of Odisha’s mineral resources and state rights.
Addressing a separate press conference, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused the BJP’s “double-engine” government of “looting” the state’s mineral resources.
“Why does the BJP government have so much affection for mine owners?” Mohanty asked, alleging that the party’s “intention to loot Odisha” was evident from the support extended by its 25 MPs — 20 in the Lok Sabha and five in the Rajya Sabha — to the MMDR Amendment Bill.
“Despite knowing that this black law will cause such a huge loss to the state, the CM has remained silent. Is this the definition of ‘Odia Asmita’,” he asked.
Former state minister Atanu S Nayak alleged that the BJP government had “greedy eyes” on the resources of mineral-rich Odisha.
“Through the MMDR Amendment Act, the Centre has taken the state’s mines under its control. Because of this Act, Odisha will lose annual revenue of Rs 12,000 crore and will also lose more than Rs 1 lakh crore in outstanding taxes,” he alleged.
BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal, however, accused the BJD and Congress of “misleading” the people of Odisha.
“Odisha will in no way suffer. Instead, it will gain when the new mining law is implemented. Both the BJD and Congress, along with INDIA bloc parties, have been opposing the law for opposition’s sake,” Biswal said.
