BJP's claim of no financial loss to Odisha over MMDR Act is a 'blatant lie': BJD

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1 -- The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday intensified its opposition to the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, accusing the BJP of misleading the people of Odisha by claiming that the amended legislation would cause no financial loss to the state.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, BJD Rajya Sabha MP SantRupt Mishra alleged that the amendment had permanently taken away the rights of state governments over mines and mineral-bearing land and would deprive Odisha of substantial revenue.

Mishra said a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered on July 25, 2026, had held that states were empowered to impose taxes and levies on mines and mineral-bearing land. The judgment h...