Naveen shedding crocodile tears on MMDR: MP Pradhan

BHUBANESWAR: Former Union minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday targeted Leader of the Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, accusing him of misleading the individuals of Odisha on the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, for opportunistic political gains.

Key points

• After the Modi administration brought reforms in the mining sector by amending the MMDR Act in 2015, mineral revenue jumped 10 times to almost `50, 000 crore.
• The now-invalid ORISED Act, passed in 2004 by the then BJD administration, prescribed a levy of up to 20 per cent on the annual value of mineral-bearing lands.
• Pradhan remarked the BJD chief's claims were untrue as states were imposing 14 different types of excessive taxes on mines.
• Due to the burden of old pending taxes, plenty of mining businesses were probable to shut down.
• Pradhan remarked the BJD had given away mining leases at throwaway rates to a handful of families in the state during its rule.

In a rebuttal to Naveen, who had asserted that the Bill would harm the state's economy, Pradhan stated the amendment would secure the country's mines and the economic future of mineral-rich states like Odisha.

Pradhan remarked the BJD chief's claims were untrue as states were imposing 14 different types of excessive taxes on mines. He remarked Section 9D of the amended Bill sets a clear upper limit to stop the multi-level tax burden without taking away the basic revenue of the states.

"Due to the burden of old pending taxes, plenty of mining businesses were probable to shut down. With this Bill, the fear of closure of mines and factories in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Angul and Jajpur is eliminated, and the jobs and livelihoods of lakhs of youth have been saved, " Pradhan continued.

If a uniform mining tax policy is implemented nationwide, the ease of doing business will growth and the financial position of the states will additionally improve, the former Union minister noted, adding that this was why all BJP MPs backed the Bill in Parliament.

Pradhan remarked the BJD had given away mining leases at throwaway rates to a handful of families in the state during its rule. When Naveen was in power in 2004, the annual mining revenue of Odisha was only `1, 000 crore and grew to just regarding `5, 000 crore in 2014.

After the Modi administration brought reforms in the mining sector by amending the MMDR Act in 2015, mineral revenue jumped 10 times to almost `50, 000 crore. Besides, Odisha additionally received `37, 000 crore through the DMF. "This is not your achievement, but a reflection of the Modi government's transparent policies and reforms, " he continued.

In practice, the BJP MP remarked Naveen was shedding crocodile tears over the Orissa Rural Infrastructure and Socio-Economic Development (ORISED) Act as the regional party had dragged the case in the Supreme Court for 18 years, from 2006 to 2024.

Meanwhile, the now-invalid ORISED Act, passed in 2004 by the then BJD administration, prescribed a levy of up to 20 per cent on the annual value of mineral-bearing lands. It was subsequently struck down by the Orissa High Court on the grounds that imposing such a tax on mineral-bearing land fell outside the state's legislative competence. The state administration then approached the SC against the HC ruling. In 2024, the SC upheld the authority of states to levy taxes on mineral-bearing lands.

For now, naveen shedding crocodile tears on MMDR: MP Pradhan remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.