<p> Bhubaneswar, Sep 1 (PTI): The BJP and BJD on Tuesday traded salvos as the saffron party said former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik was "shedding crocodile tears" over MMDR, and the regional outfit accused the ruling party of "telling lies" that the state would not suffer losses due to the Act.</p><p>Parliament in August passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to restrict states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.</p><p>"Both BJD and its president Naveen Patnaik are shedding crocodile tears over the MMDR Act. The state has lost Rs 1.03 crore lakh for the inefficiencies of the previous BJD government. We demand an explanation from the BJD that misleads people of Odisha," the state BJP said in a social media post.</p><p>BJD MP Santrupt Misra, on the other hand, alleged that the BJP was not working for the interests of Odisha.</p><p>"When the MMDR Act was being passed in Parliament, the BJP MPs supported it. The new legislation strips mineral bearing states, including Odisha, of their rights over mines and mining lands. This is an attack on the federal system," Misra told reporters.</p><p>Alleging that the BJP leaders were telling "blatant lies", Mishra said the central government has permanently taken away the rights of the state governments over mines and mineral-bearing lands.</p><p>"In the judgment delivered by the nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court on July 25, it was held that states can impose taxes and levies on mines and mineral-bearing lands," he said.</p><p>Misra also claimed that the judgment stated that taxes and levies pending since 2005 could be recovered.</p><p>According to this judgment, Odisha had become entitled to receive more than Rs 1 lakh crore towards arrears, and the way had been cleared for the state to receive an additional Rs 12,000 crore annually as revenue, he claimed.</p><p>However, through the MMDR Amendment Act, the rights of the state governments over mines and mineral-bearing land were permanently taken away, he said, adding that Odisha has lost the Rs 1 lakh crore it was entitled to receive towards arrears, besides the annual revenue.</p><p>Misra said BJD president Naveen Patnaik had written to BJP MPs asking them to raise their voice against this Act, "which goes against the interests of Odisha".</p><p>However, the BJP leaders are now arguing that Odisha will not suffer any loss because of this Act.</p><p>He said the Odisha Review, a state government mouthpiece, had in November last year said that the state will receive Rs 1 lakh crore towards mining arrears and an additional Rs 12,000 crore annually as revenue, which would strengthen the financial position of the state.</p><p>The BJD MP said that on behalf of the state government, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, through an affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court, had stated that the Rs 1 lakh crore in arrears was Odisha's legitimate entitlement and that the state would suffer substantial loss if it did not receive the amount.</p><p>"Both the Odisha Review and the affidavit of the advocate general had stated that the amount due to Odisha towards mining taxes and arrears was important for the progress of the state, while BJP leaders are now arguing that Odisha will not suffer any loss," he added.</p><p>Therefore, now the question arises as to whether the facts presented in the Odisha Review and the affidavit of the advocate general were incorrect, or whether BJP leaders are lying in order to defend their own position, he said.</p><p>"Taking away the rights of the states over mines and mineral-bearing land permanently is an attack on the federal structure of the country," Misra said.</p><p>In another press conference, opposition Congress said it was strongly opposing the MMDR Act and has launched a statewide agitation, "while the BJD's activities were confined to press conferences and writing letters".</p><p>Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Monday said that a "fearless" fight is call-of-the-hour for the rollback of the mining law which, according to him, is "anti-Odisha and anti-tribal". PTI AAM AAM ACD</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>
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