Bhubaneswar: Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will hold a mass protest at Lower PMG in the Odisha capital here on September 28 to press for the withdrawal of the MMDR Amendment Act.

“The BJD has been opposing the legislation from the beginning. The party will organise a mass protest at the Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar seeking withdrawal of the MMDR Amendment Act,” said senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra at a presser in the capital city here on Thursday.

BJD supremo and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, is scheduled to lead the protest, Mishra added.

“Through the MMDR Amendment Act, the Central government has taken away the rights of the states over mines and mineral-bearing lands, which is an attack on the federal structure of the country. Since Odisha possesses 44 per cent of the total mineral resources available in the country, the state will suffer the maximum loss due to this amended law,” claimed the BJD leader.

Former minister Pratap Jena stated that the MMDR Amendment Act is a black law and has dealt a severe blow to the interests of the state. According to Jena, in 2004, the BJD government, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, had brought a law under which the state government could impose taxes and levies on mines and mineral-bearing lands.

“Some mining companies challenged this law in the courts, following which the matter remained pending before the Supreme Court for a long period. On 25 July 2024, a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that state governments could impose taxes and levies on mines and minerals. This created an opportunity for Odisha to receive Rs 1 lakh crore towards arrears and Rs 12,000 crore annually as revenue from mining. However, due to the MMDR Amendment Act, this opportunity has now been lost,” Jena said.

Senior BJD leaders Arun Kumar Sahoo, Sudam Marandi and Priti Ranjan Ghadai were also present at the press conference.