Bhubaneswar: BJD President Naveen Patnaik has urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the Assembly and bring a unanimous resolution seeking repeal of the recently passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment.
Reiterating his appeal to the CM, Patnaik said Odisha stands to suffer significant financial losses and faces an erosion of its constitutional rights following the passage of the MMDR Amendment in Parliament.
Patnaik said that, as the Leader of the House, it was the CM’s moral responsibility to call a special session of the Assembly. He said this would reaffirm the constitutional rights of the state that were upheld by the Supreme Court and go a long way towards protecting the interests of Odisha.
Recalling the legal battle over the issue, Patnaik said the constitutional right of states to impose tax on mineral wealth and mineral-bearing lands had been challenged in the courts by mining companies.
He said the BJD government had fought for many years in the High Court and Supreme Court to protect this constitutional right of Odisha.
He said the present state government also fought before the Supreme Court against the mining companies. According to Patnaik, under the direction of the CM, the Advocate General of Odisha had placed the state’s position before the court, including the serious financial implications for Odisha if its power to levy taxes on minerals and mineral-bearing lands was taken away.
Patnaik further said that because of these sustained efforts, Odisha ultimately secured justice, with the Supreme Court’s nine-Judge Constitution Bench upholding the stand taken by Odisha against the claims of the mining companies.
According to Patnaik, the judgment opened the way for recovery of crores of rupees in past dues and a minimum recurring revenue of nearly Rs 12,000 crore every year.
He said this revenue had profound financial implications for Odisha’s development and for securing a better future for the state’s youth. Patnaik also said he believed the state government had held high-level discussions following the Supreme Court judgment on how these resources could best be utilised for the people of Odisha.
Patnaik said that after all these developments, the passage of the MMDR Amendment by Parliament came as a shock and alleged that the amendment effectively strips Odisha of its constitutional right to levy taxes on its mineral wealth.
He further alleged that 20 BJP MPs supported the amendment against the people of Odisha and claimed that the move was what mine owners had wanted and had been fighting for.
Patnaik said the BJD would always stand with the people of Odisha on matters relating to the rights of the state and the future of its youth.
He appealed for a united effort to pass a resolution in the interest of Odisha and demand that the Central Government reverse its decision to take away what he described as the state’s constitutional rights.
Patnaik said the people of Odisha would remember the “historic moment.”
