Bhubaneswar: Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal has asked former chief minister Naveen Patnaik to convince and not confuse MPs by writing letters on the estimated loss of Rs 12,000 crore per annum after implementation of the MMDR Amendment Act, 20206.
Samal, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, alleged that the BJD president and former CM was misleading people and confusing the MPs over the new mining law.
Urging MPs to oppose the Act is an act of confusing others. How does the state lose Rs 12,000 crore per annum after implementation of the new legislation as written in the letter Convince, not confuse MPs, Samal told reporters Sunday and sought to know from Patnaik how he calculated the estimated loss at Rs 12,000 crore.
Claiming that the state will not lose any revenue, Samal said that the claim should be properly explained with justification. Once Odisha was getting mining revenue of only Rs 5,000 crore per annum, now it has been increased to Rs 50,000 crore. The new law is framed after examining provisions from different angles, including its legal implications, Samal said.
Two days ago, Patnaik had written a letter to all BJP MPs urging them to use their conscience and demand reversal of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, which, according to him, would take away Odisha’s rights over the mining land and also cause a loss of Rs 12,000 crore per annum.
The BJD president also disapproved of the role of 25 BJP MPs (20 in LS and 5 in RS) for supporting the bill, which, according to him, is detrimental to the state’s interest.
Reacting to the Odisha BJP president’s statement, the BJD said in a statement that Samal was among the 25 MPs who had raised his hand in Parliament in support of the black law.
It is his responsibility to explain to the people of Odisha why he supported this black law. BJD asks him to explain to the people how Odisha will benefit from the newly enacted law, the regional party statement said and added that the BJD was prepared to explain the estimated loss of Rs 12,000 crore after implementation of the law in an open debate.
Due to this black law, Odisha will lose more than Rs 1 lakh crore towards its pending dues and Rs 12,000 crore every year. Samal should know that whenever former chief minister Naveen Patnaik takes any decision or makes any statement, he always keeps the interests of Odisha foremost, said BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty.
The BJD leader said that even today, Odisha is suffering losses due to the implementation of GST. The earlier VAT system was far more beneficial to Odisha than GST. That is why, when GST was unilaterally introduced, Naveen Patnaik had clearly presented Odisha’s position and stated that the implementation of GST would cause losses to Odisha, Mohanty said.
The BJD is ready to provide the details and calculation of the Rs 12,000 crore loss. If Manmohan Samal has the courage, let him place the facts before the people of Odisha and explain how Odisha will benefit from this black law, Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo alleged that the BJP MPs supported the MMDR Act at the cost of Odisha’s interest and for the benefit of BJP and mine owners. He put 10 questions related to the MMDR Act before the state’s BJP government and sought its explanation.
February 22, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his efforts in Odisha’s mining policy in the Parliament. The Prime Minister said that Odisha is the most revenue-generating state in the country, and Odisha is the leading state in mining reforms in the country, Sahoo pointed out.
Replying to the claim of BJP leaders that Odisha’s mining revenue increased 10-fold from Rs 5,000 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 50,000 crore in 2024-25, Sahoo claimed that it was possible due to reforms and transparent administration of the previous Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha.
