Bhubaneshwar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, Naveen Patnaik, Saturday wrote to Odisha BJP MPs over the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, describing the development as a “black day” for the state and warning that it has “far-reaching implications” for the people of Odisha.
Patnaik, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, said the state would be “worst affected” by the legislation and termed it an “injustice to the children and youth” of Odisha, whose future, he said, is closely linked to the state’s natural resources and opportunities.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed by Parliament during the Monsoon Session with provisions aimed at restricting state governments from imposing uneven taxes, cesses and levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.
In his letter to the BJP MPs, Patnaik said, “Our Parliament is the highest temple of Indian democracy. As a member of Parliament, you are the voice of Odisha in this highest forum of democracy. The people of Odisha elected you in good faith to protect and further their interests.”
“It is, therefore, a matter of utmost concern that you voted in favour of one of the most arbitrary legislations that will have far-reaching adverse implications for the people of Odisha who put their trust in you,” he said.
“August 13th, which saw the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha with your support, was a black day for Odisha. The Bill was passed with less than ten minutes of discussion in the Lok Sabha, despite having provisions with far-reaching implications for the people of Odisha,” Patnaik said.
The BJD chief pointed out that Odisha has, for decades, accounted for nearly 44 per cent of India’s mineral wealth and has made a major contribution to the country’s steel, power, mining and infrastructure sectors.
“This was not an ordinary piece of legislation. Odisha undoubtedly will be the worst affected by this legislation… India stands taller and stronger today because of the immense contribution made by Odisha and her people,” Patnaik said.
He claimed that the legislation would result in an estimated annual loss of more than Rs 12,000 crore to Odisha, which he said could translate into lakhs of crores of rupees over time.
“But the bigger loss is that in a single legislative stroke the control over our own minerals and our mineral-bearing lands was taken away from us. And this happened under your watch,” he added.
Patnaik said the MMDRA Bill represented an “injustice to the children and youth of Odisha, whose future is linked to the resources and opportunities of this State”.
“It is an injustice to the people of Odisha who bear the pollution, displacement, environmental degradation and the hazards and hardships of mining,” he said.
He further said the legislation was also an injustice to Odisha’s aspiration of becoming an empowered state capable of determining its own future using its resources.
“And, above all, it is an injustice to the dream of an empowered Odisha that has the confidence and resources to determine its own future. I earnestly appeal to you to listen to your conscience and think about the future generations of Odisha,” Patnaik said.
“I appeal to you to challenge and call for a reversal of the amendment made in the MMDR Act that takes away the powers of the state government,” he added.
Patnaik also invoked history while urging the BJP MPs to reconsider their position and stand up for the interests of the state.
“History remembers and honours those who raise their voice when injustice is done to their people and its resources. History will judge you not by the party you stood with, but by whether you stood up for Odisha when it mattered most,” he further said.
“You are standing at a historic juncture with a choice to stand and fight for the state and the people who sent you to the Lok Sabha with a mandate to protect their interests. I leave it to your judgment,” Patnaik added.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily