Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Congress termed the recently enacted Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 (MMDR-2026) as a ‘Dark Act’ and demanded a two-day Special Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly to deliberate on it.
Congress MLAs led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ramachandra Kadam met Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampat at Lok Bhavan in Bhubaneswar and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
In a letter to the Governor, Kadam said the newly passed central legislation strikes at the very foundation of cooperative federalism.
“This newly passed central legislation, which we rightfully designate a ‘Dark Act’, strikes at the very foundation of cooperative federalism. It completely bypasses state-level legislative competence and strips the fiscal autonomy and the constitutional protections of the people of our state,” the letter reads.
Kadam, MLA from Pottangi, stated that as a mineral-rich state, Odisha’s federal rights are under threat and the Governor’s intervention is vital.
Raising serious concerns, the CLP said the MMDR-2026 centrally usurps the sovereign rights of the State of Odisha over its own mineral wealth by consolidating mineral allocation, revenue control, and lease renewals into federal hands, reducing the state government to a passive spectator.
It further alleged that a vast majority of Odisha’s mining hubs fall directly under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and the new Act bypasses the mandatory constitutional requirement of seeking free, prior, and informed consent from the Gram Sabhas and Tribal Advisory Councils (TAC).The Congress urged the Governor to immediately summon a two-day Special Session of the Assembly to discuss the implications of the Act on Odisha’s tribal communities, fiscal autonomy and constitutional rights.
