Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 (IANS): The monsoon session of the Odisha Assembly witnessed disruptions for the third consecutive day on Thursday, as opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress legislators staged a protest in the House over the MMDR Amendment Act.
Both the BJD and Congress members had been protesting in the House for the past two days over separate issues. However, the BJD legislators who had been demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over printing errors in school textbooks for the past two days, on Thursday created a ruckus in the House over the MMDR Amendment Act and demanded its repeal.
As the House proceedings commenced on the third day of the monsoon session, Congress and BJD legislators, holding posters and banners near the Speaker’s podium, raised anti-government slogans demanding the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act.
Amid the pandemonium, Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi tried to conduct the proceedings, with Ministers Mukesh Mahaling and Suresh Pujari answering queries during Question Hour. Meanwhile, continued disruptions by the opposition MLAs prompted the Deputy Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm.
The Congress MLAs later staged a protest under the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Assembly premises, while the BJD legislators marched to the office of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) from the Assembly. They staged a gherao of the OMC office over the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, calling it against the interests of the state.
Speaking to media persons, Senior BJD leader and party MLA Arun Sahu said the party’s protest outside the OMC office here marked the beginning of an economic blockade against the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
Sahu said the BJD had given an ultimatum to the state government and the Centre to withdraw the legislation. If the demand was not met, the party would intensify its agitation and launch a statewide economic blockade, he said.
“This is only the beginning. We will continue our protest and adopt a broader strategy if the government fails to act,” Sahu said. He alleged that the amendment would adversely affect Odisha’s interests and deprive the state of its rightful share of mineral resources.
The BJD leader said the party would also mobilise people and intensify its campaign against the legislation.
Congress Leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati alleged that Odisha incurred a loss of Rs 1.10 lakh crore, apart from the annual loss of Rs 10,00 crore every year, due to the enactment of the MMDR Amendment Act. The BJP-led union government betrayed the people of Odisha who voted them to power during the 2024 general elections.
