ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: The seventh session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly (Monsoon Session) begins Tuesday, with the Opposition gearing up to corner the government over the MMDR Amendment Act, flood management, school textbook errors, law and order, agrarian distress, and the trafficking of five baby orangutans rescued from Baleshwar. This emerged from an all-party meeting held Monday for the smooth conduct of the session.
Chaired by Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, the meeting was attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and floor leaders from ruling and opposition parties. The session will continue till October 3, spanning nine working days. The Opposition has planned to target the state government over the Centre’s Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026.
The BJD and Congress have opposed the legislation and are expected to seek a detailed discussion on its possible implications for Odisha’s mining revenue. BJD deputy leader Prasanna Acharya has said the party will raise the issue from the beginning of the session and seek clarification from the state government on its position concerning mining-related arrears and the implications of the amended law. Similarly, the mysterious rescue of five baby orangutans from a casuarina forest in Bichitrapur area of Baleshwar is also likely to come up during the session, particularly over the progress of the investigation and the suspected wildlife trafficking network behind the incident.
The five orangutans—three males and two females—were rescued on September 8 and subsequently shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park. Forest authorities had sought police assistance to establish their source, ownership and transportation route, including the possibility of inter-state or international trafficking. The Odisha STF is investigating the case, but the probe has faced difficulties in analysing mobile tower data because of overlapping networks along the Odisha-West Bengal border. Investigators are examining thousands of mobile numbers active around the suspected time of the animals’ abandonment and are also looking at other evidence to trace their route. The Opposition is likely to seek an update from the government on the investigation.
Further, the recent flood situation in several districts is another major issue expected to dominate the proceedings. Opposition members are likely to question the government over preparedness, relief and rehabilitation, damage to infrastructure and assistance to affected farmers. Issues concerning paddy procurement and agrarian distress are also expected to be raised. The Mahanadi dispute and demands for long-term flood protection measures, particularly in vulnerable districts, could add to the pressure on the government. Likewise, the alleged errors in school textbooks are expected to be another major flashpoint. The BJD and Congress have criticised the government over the issue, while the BJD’s youth and student wings have announced an Assembly gherao from September 22 and demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond. Law and order, women’s safe ty and issues concerning tribal communities are also likely to figure in the Opposition’s strategy. Congress has indicated that law and order, MMDR and the textbook controversy will be among its key concerns. On the legislative front, the government is expected to introduce five to six Bills during the short session.