Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik led a large Biju Janata Dal protest in Bhubaneswar on Monday against the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026. The party says the law takes away powers the state holds over its own mineral wealth. It claims Odisha could lose thousands of crores of rupees every year as a result. Patnaik said the people of Odisha are the rightful owners of the state’s mines and land.
He complained that his earlier requests for a special Assembly session and a resolution opposing the amendment had gone unanswered. The BJD points out that Odisha holds about 44 per cent of India’s mineral resources, which is why any change in mining governance hits it harder than most states. Party leaders also referred to a 2024 Supreme Court judgment that upheld states’ rights to tax mineral-bearing land. The Union mines ministry defends the amendment as a way to speed up exploration of critical minerals and strengthen domestic supply security.
It also says roughly 90 per cent of mining revenue will continue to accrue to states. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on 12 August. The protest signals that the BJD, now in opposition in Odisha, is trying to rebuild its footing around a federalism and resource-rights argument against both the Centre and the state’s BJP government.