Overview
- Parliament has passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, which restricts states from levying additional taxes on mineral rights and changes rules for leases and captive mining.
- Odisha parties have escalated to on-the-ground action with the BJD staging a mass dharna in Bhubaneswar, the OJC blocking traffic at Chandikhole and the INDIA bloc announcing an Assembly gherao on September 29.
- Opposition leaders say the law could cost Odisha large sums, citing figures of roughly Rs 12,000 crore a year in lost mining revenue and up to about Rs 1 lakh crore in outstanding dues.
- Critics warn the amendments expand lease and captive-mining powers without open auction and could weaken Gram Sabha, PESA and Forest Rights Act protections for tribal communities, while the BJP says the law will benefit the state.
- The dispute mixes political mobilisation and legal challenge prospects, with opponents invoking a 2024 Supreme Court judgment on state mineral rights and seeking governor or presidential intervention to protect Odisha's fiscal and tribal interests.