BJD leaders meet Governor, seek President’s intervention on MMDR Amendment Act

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Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday met Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and submitted a memorandum seeking President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026.

The party requested the Governor to forward the memorandum to the President for constitutional intervention, saying the new law threatens Odisha’s fiscal autonomy and mineral rights. It urged the President to protect Odisha’s constitutional and financial rights.

The conch party challenged claims that the amendment would cause no financial loss to Odisha. It said such claims contradict earlier assessments in the Odisha Review and an affidavit filed by the State’s Advocate General in the Supreme Court.

BJD cited the Supreme Court’s nine-judge Constitution Bench judgment, which recognised States’ power to levy taxes on mines and mineral-bearing lands. After the verdict, Odisha was estimated to be entitled to more than 1 lakh crore in mining arrears and around 12,000 crore in additional annual revenue.

The party further argued that the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026 could undermine the financial benefit arising from that ruling.

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It is to be noted here that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has already expressed serious concern over the MMDR amendment. Besides, the BJD MPs had opposed the Bill in Parliament and the latest memorandum takes the party’s opposition to the constitutional level.

The BJD alleged that the amendment increases Union control over “mineral-bearing lands” and restricts States from levying taxes and cesses.

The law also allows the Centre to frame rules that could limit the extent of State taxation powers. This, the party said, strikes at the heart of Odisha’s fiscal autonomy, especially when mining States bear the environmental, infrastructure and social costs.

This apart, BJD has invoked Article 244(1) and the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. It said the issue is not limited to Scheduled Areas, but concerns Odisha’s overall mineral rights and revenues.

Also Read: WATCH: LoP Naveen Patnaik Writes To Odisha BJP MPs Urging Them To Seek Reversal Of MMDR Amendments

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