Patnaik urges Odisha BJP MPs to reverse mines law, calls it a 'black day'
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik has written to Odisha's BJP MPs urging them to seek reversal of the amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, passed by Parliament on August 13. Patnaik called the legislation's passage a "black day" for Odisha, saying the Bill was debated in the Lok Sabha for less than ten minutes despite provisions with far-reaching implications. He estimated the annual revenue loss to Odisha at more than Rs 12,000 crore, arguing the amendment stripped the state of control over its own mineral-bearing lands. Odisha accounts for nearly 44% of India's mineral wealth, according to Patnaik, and the BJD chief framed the law as an injustice to the state's people, who bear mining's pollution and displacement costs. The article does not record any response from Odisha's BJP MPs.
Why it matters
If the amendment is not reversed, Odisha stands to lose over Rs 12,000 crore annually in mineral revenue and cedes direct control of its mineral resources to the Centre, directly affecting the state's fiscal health and bargaining power.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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