Paperman Media | Angul
The Odisha unit of the INDIA bloc organised a large rally in Angul on Saturday, demanding withdrawal of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026. The organisers also called for protection of Odisha’s interests in mineral resources, state revenues and the rights of tribal communities.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das addressed the gathering and criticised the Union government’s mining policy. He said Odisha’s interests in its water, forests, land and mineral resources should not be compromised. Das also demanded that the state government convene an all-party meeting and a special session of the Assembly to discuss the implications of the amended law.
The MMDR amendment has become a major political issue in Odisha. The state government told the Assembly on September 24 that it had not yet made a quantified assessment of the law’s financial impact and that the implications would be examined after the Centre frames the relevant rules.
Das also criticised the government on issues relating to textbooks, UPI-related taxation and the functioning of the Election Commission. He urged people to participate in the proposed September 29 Assembly gherao programme.
Congress leaders, including MLA C.S. Rajan Ekka, Sasmit Behera, Siddharth Das, former MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria and other district leaders, attended the rally.
