Odisha: State Will Suffer Rs 1 Lakh Crore Loss, Claims Odisha Congress
The ruling BJP, however, has rejected the Congress's claims, terming them misleading: Reports
BHUBANESWAR: Political tensions in Odisha have escalated over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 with the Opposition Congress seeking a special session of the state Legislative Assembly to discuss what it describes as the potentially adverse financial implications of the amendments for the mineral-rich state.
A Congress delegation led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam met Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at Lok Bhavan on Saturday and urged him to facilitate a special session of the Assembly to deliberate on the legislation and its implications for Odisha's mineral revenues.
Kadam said the Congress was strongly opposed to the amendments and claimed they could result in cumulative losses of nearly Rs 1 lakh crore to Odisha. He further alleged that the state could face an annual revenue loss of around Rs 20,000 crore if the amended provisions were implemented.
The Congress leader said the issue warranted a detailed debate in the Assembly, particularly since Odisha is among India's leading mineral-producing states and a substantial portion of its revenues is linked to mining activities.
The ruling BJP, however, has rejected the Congress's claims, terming them misleading and insisting that the amended MMDR framework would not cause any financial loss to Odisha.
The BJP has argued that the state has benefited substantially from the reforms introduced through the 2015 amendments to the mining law, which strengthened the auction-based allocation of mineral resources and helped boost government revenues. The party has accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation and creating unnecessary apprehension among the people over the proposed changes.
The ruling party has also sought to project the amendments as part of the Centre's broader strategy to unlock India's mineral potential and accelerate economic growth, in line with the national objective of making India a developed economy by 2047.
With the Congress demanding a special Assembly session and the BJP defending the Centre's mineral policy, the MMDR amendments have emerged as a fresh flashpoint in Odisha's continuing political contest over the state's mineral wealth, revenue interests and share in the benefits of natural resources.