Bhubaneswar, Sep 25 (IANS): Opposition protests against the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, continued to disrupt proceedings in the Odisha Assembly on Friday, the fourth consecutive day of the monsoon session.
On Friday, Question Hour could continue for only four to five minutes amid a massive uproar by legislators of the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress over the MMDR Amendment Act in the House.
Subsequently, the continued pandemonium prompted Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi to adjourn the House till 4 p.m. on Friday.
Speaking to media persons outside the House, Leader of Opposition and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik criticised the ruling BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha for not raising any objections to the MMDR Amendment Act in Parliament.
“As far as the MMDR Amendment Act is concerned, why blame others, when 20 BJP Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha supported this bill in the Parliament. “We in the BJD will take this up strongly with the state government to pause and see that it is revised thoroughly,” noted Patnaik.
He further added that, in its current form, the Act would result in a significant loss of revenue for the state.
Meanwhile, after the house adjourned, the BJD MLAs marched to the AG Square in Bhubaneswar and distributed leaflets to people there on the MMDR Amendment Act.
Speaking to media persons, senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati targeted the BJP-led Union government, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has snatched away the rights of the state.
He also stated that the Congress party will continue its protest against the MMDR Amendment Act passed in Parliament recently.
Bahinipati said, “If Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi wants to run the House, we urge him to bring legislation in the Assembly stating that the MMDR Amendment Act passed by Parliament will not be implemented in Odisha.”
The ongoing 7th Session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA) will have nine working days from September 22 to October 3.
