Bhubaneswar, Sep 25 The Monsoon Session of the Odisha Assembly faced disruptions for the fourth consecutive day as opposition BJD and Congress MLAs, sporting black scarves, raised slogans in the House on Friday, demanding repeal of the amended mines law passed by Parliament recently.
Amid the uproar, proceedings had to be adjourned till 4 pm, barely four minutes after the commencement of the Question Hour.
Under the amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, passed by Parliament in August, the Centre seeks to take under its control the regulation of mineral-bearing lands containing mineral deposits in accordance with parameters prescribed under the legislation.
Opposition parties in Odisha have alleged that the law “snatches the rights” of mineral-rich states and weakens their financial autonomy.
As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour at 10.30 am, opposition lawmakers trooped into the well, raising slogans against the BJP government. The BJD and Congress MLAs protested in the House separately.
When Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi allowed School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond to reply to a question, opposition members intensified their sloganeering.
The opposition parties also demanded Gond’s resignation over large-scale errors in school textbooks.
Amid the din, the deputy speaker adjourned the House till 4 pm.
Along with demanding repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, the BJD has been protesting against errors in school textbooks and demanding Gond’s resignation.
Since the beginning of the Monsoon Session on September 22, the Congress has been protesting against the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, and demanding that the legislation not be implemented in Odisha.
(PTI News)
