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Congress threatens economic blockade over Odisha mining Bill
The Congress party has threatened to impose an economic blockade in Odisha's mineral-rich districts unless the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is withdrawn. The decision came from a…
The Congress party has threatened to impose an economic blockade in Odisha's mineral-rich districts unless the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is withdrawn. The decision came from a meeting of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee's Political Affairs Committee chaired by AICC Odisha in-charge Lalji Desai. The Congress, along with the BJD, has demanded a special session of the Assembly to discuss the law.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The MMDR Amendment Bill 2026 shifts the power to levy taxes and cesses on mining from states to the Centre, directly affecting Odisha, which relies heavily on mining revenue. The state's mining earnings rose from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore after the 2015 MMDR amendments. The BJD and Congress, though rivals, have united against the Bill, while the BJP defends it. The next step is whether the President withholds assent to the Bill, as demanded by the Congress. The economic blockade threat could escalate into a law and order issue in districts like Keonjhar and Sundargarh, where mining is the economic backbone. The special Assembly session demand also remains unresolved.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
