Calling the passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) law in Parliament a "black day" for Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged Odisha BJP MPs to seek a reversal of the amendments.
“"The Bill was passed with less than ten minutes of discussion in the Lok Sabha, despite having provisions with far-reaching implications for the people of Odisha. This was not an ordinary piece of legislation. Odisha undoubtedly will be the worst affected by this legislation," said Patnaik in a letter to BJP MPs.
As Odisha accounts for nearly 44% of India’s mineral wealth, Patnaik, the former Odisha CM, emphasized that the state has contributed its mineral wealth to the building of India’s steel, power, mining, and infrastructure sectors for decades.
“"India stands taller and stronger today because of the immense contribution made by Odisha and her people," he added.
Due to the amendment of the MMDR Act — passed by Parliament on August 13 — Patnaik stated that the estimated annual loss would exceed Rs 12,000 crore, leading to lakhs of crores of rupees over time.
