Bhubaneswar: Further intensifying its protest against the MMDR Amendment Act, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Thursday announced a massive protest meeting in Bhubaneswar September 28, demanding the repeal of the Act and calling it a “black law.”
The party said BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik will attend the meeting at Lower PMG Monday. The regional party has appealed to the people of Odisha to support and cooperate with the agitation.
Speaking at a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, Senior Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra alleged that the MMDR Amendment Act had taken away states’ rights over mines and mineral-bearing lands, calling it an attack on the federal structure.
He added that since Odisha has 44 per cent of the country’s mineral resources, the state would suffer the greatest loss under the amended law.
Mishra criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the state for supporting the Act and claiming that Odisha would benefit rather than suffer losses from its implementation.
“Therefore, demanding its withdrawal, the BJD will organise a massive protest meeting at Lower PMG 28 September, in which BJD President Shri Naveen Patnaik will participate,” he said.
Addressing the press conference, BJD Vice-President Pratap Jena said the MMDR Amendment Act was a black law that had dealt a severe blow to Odisha’s interests. He recalled that the Naveen Patnaik-led government introduced a law in 2004 enabling the state to impose taxes and levies on mines and mineral-bearing lands. Some mining companies challenged this law in courts, leaving the matter pending before the Supreme Court for years.
Jena noted that July 25, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that states could impose taxes and levies on mines and minerals, potentially benefiting Odisha with Rs 1 lakh crore in arrears and Rs 12,000 crore annually. He claimed the MMDR Amendment Act deprived the state of this opportunity.
The BJD leaders said that at the call of the party president, leaders and countless workers were set to launch an agitation demanding withdrawal of the “black law.”
