Naveen Patnaik urges Odisha CM to call special session over mining bill

BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Friday claimed that the passage of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill poses a great threat to Odisha's fiscal autonomy, and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the Assembly to pass a resolution to oppose it.

Parliament on Thursday passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to restrict states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.

In a letter to Majhi, Patnaik said, “Summon a Special Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly to formally pass a unanimous resolution opposing this Amendment Act and protesting the Union Government's usurpation of state powers”.

The leader of the opposition also requested the chief minister to convene an all-party meeting immediately to build a unified consensus on safeguarding Odisha's federal rights and mineral revenues, which he alleged have been impacted by the passage of the Bill.

“This legislative measure poses a serious threat to Odisha's fiscal autonomy and constitutional rights over its natural resources,” said the former chief minister of Odisha, a mineral-rich state.