Bhubaneswar, Aug. 20 -- Asserting that "this land is ours, these mines are ours", BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has stepped up his opposition to the recent amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, warning that it could seriously erode Odisha's mineral revenue and undermine the state's financial autonomy.
"Our people will bear the dust and smoke, while the Delhi establishment will prosper from our resources. We will not allow this to happen," he said in a strongly worded message.
In a video message, Patnaik urged the Odisha government to convene an all-party meeting and call a special session of the Assembly to discuss the amendment and its implications for Odisha. He said he had already...