Bhubaneswar: The BJD is planning a multi-front political campaign against the ruling BJP in Odisha, resolving to pursue both legal action and public demonstrations to challenge the recently passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill.
The legislation, passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, restricts the authority of State governments to levy taxes or cesses on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. Awaiting presidential assent, the bill has drawn sharp opposition from the BJD, which argues that it directly undermines Odisha’s fiscal autonomy and federal rights.
Following a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting chaired by party chief Naveen Patnaik, the BJD warned that enacting the law would cause an estimated revenue loss of at least Rs 12,000 crore to the State exchequer, severely crippling local developmental agendas and social welfare projects.
Naveen, who is also the Leader of Opposition, has written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging him to convene an all-party meeting to forge a unified political consensus and to summon a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution opposing the bill.
Meanwhile, the Union government has urgued that the amendments do not infringe upon State revenue rights or autonomy, but are intended to streamline operations and ensure uniform mineral rates across the country.
Beyond the mining bill, the opposition party announced plans for widespread grassroots mobilisation targeting several governance issues across the state. The PAC voiced strong concern over administrative registration bottlenecks impacting sharecroppers ahead of the upcoming Kharif paddy procurement season, demanding immediate intervention to safeguard farmers’ interests.
On the education front, the BJD criticised administrative delays, specifically highlighting widespread student dissatisfaction caused by severe holdups in the distribution of revised textbooks. Concurrently, as the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls nears completion, the party has instructed cadres to monitor the process to prevent voter disenfranchisement, while forming block- and panchayat-level committees to prepare for upcoming local body elections.
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