Naveen Seeks All-Party Meet, Special Assembly Session over Mining Bill

MMDR Amendment Bill-2026 and the 2024 Supreme Court ruling: Why India's gain should not be Odisha's loss

India wants to build electric vehicles, missiles and solar parks without having to ask Beijing for permission every time it needs the raw materials that go into them. That ambition ran straight into a messier, more local fight this month. Who actually gets to tax the iron ore, bauxite and chromite that make all of this possible in the first place? On August 13, Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,…

Odisha: BJD plans legal action, public demonstrations against Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill

Odisha's BJD party is planning legal action and public demonstrations against the recently passed Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill, which they argue will severely impact the state's fiscal autonomy and developmental plans. The BJD contends the bill restricts states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights, potentially causing significant revenue losses.

‘Mining Bill a blow to Odisha’s fiscal autonomy’: BJD chief asks Majhi to convene all-party meet

Former Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded a special session of the Assembly to voice dissent against the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed by Parliament on Thursday. Mr. Patnaik said the Bill usurps Odisha’s fiscal autonomy and termed it a “threat” to the State’s constitutional rights over its resources.

"Mines Amendment Act poses serious threat to Odisha's fiscal autonomy": Naveen Patnaik; Centre says legislation "won't take away rights of States"

Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a letter to the Odisha CM, said, "The amendment expands Union control under Section 2 to include "mineral-bearing lands" alongside regulation of mines. Restriction on State Revenue Powers: Section 9D explicitly prohibits State Governments from levying any tax, cess, or similar levy on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands (whether based on quantity, value, or royalty) except under conditions imposed by t…

Naveen seeks all-party meet, special Assembly session over mining bill

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Patnaik said the legislation could have serious and long-term financial implications for Odisha, one of the country’s major mineral-producing States.

New minerals law infringes on Odisha’s rights, Naveen Patnaik says

The passage of the Bill assumes significance as the Supreme Court, in July 2024, upheld the power of states to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land.