Now Reading: Naveen Patnaik demands special Odisha session on mining Bill
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Naveen Patnaik demands special Odisha session on mining Bill
BJD president Naveen Patnaik has asked Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the State Assembly to oppose the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,…
The Story in Brief
BJD president Naveen Patnaik has asked Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the State Assembly to oppose the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament on Thursday. In a letter, Patnaik said the Bill usurps Odisha's fiscal autonomy and strips its power to impose taxes and cesses on minerals, threatening revenue for healthcare, education and welfare. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren earlier called the Bill a 'black Bill' and warned of protests across the State.
The Indian Opinion
Headlines call the mining Bill either a blow to federalism or a necessity for uniform policy. But framing it as a simple Centre-versus-states fight misses nuance. Odisha and Jharkhand depend on mining revenue for health and schools; any central takeover that shrinks that revenue will hurt the poorest first. The real test is what the all-party meeting produces: will the government offer a compensatory mechanism or merely defend the Bill as passed? That answer will show whether federalism is being strengthened or hollowed out.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
