Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 24: Amid strong protest by opposition BJD and Congress over MMDR Amendment Act-2026, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on Thursday said that the Odisha government has not assessed the impact of the new Act on the state’s mining revenue.
In a written statement to the House, Jena said that the government has not yet conducted a quantified assessment of the impact of Section 9D of the Act on the State’s revenue.
Section 9D of the MMDR Act prohibits state governments from imposing any tax, cess, or levy on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands unless permitted by conditions or restrictions set by the central government.
“The State Government has not conducted a quantified assessment of the impact of Section 9D of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026 on the state’s revenue from taxes/levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. The financial implications will be examined with reference to the operative provisions of the amended Act and the relevant rules/conditions/restrictions, as and when applicable,” Jena said in a written reply to a question by BJD legislator Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.
Accordingly, the State Government has not made a final assessment at this stage regarding the precise amount of arrears, if any, that may become unrecoverable, or the estimated annual revenue impact attributable specifically to Section 9D, he said.
The Minister also clarified that the revenue figures/positions referred to as having been published in Odisha Review (a magazine published by the government) or placed before the Supreme Court are not being treated as a departmental assessment for the purpose of quantifying the present financial impact of Section 9D.
Any such comparison would be made only after the legal and operational implications of the amended provision are fully ascertained, he added.
Ruling BJP MLA in Odisha on Thursday asked the state government about steps taken to protect the state’s interest, if any loss occurred due to the implementation of the new law.
Replying a question by BJP MLA Prakash Soren, Jena said no specific estimate of financial gain or loss has been made regarding the amended provisions of the MMDR Act-2026.
The Odisha Government will assess the financial impact after the Central government formulates the relevant rules and regulations, he said.
Necessary measures will be taken in accordance with existing laws and statutory provisions to safeguard the state’s mineral resources and revenue interests, the Minister added.
The State Government has not made a quantified assessment of the amount of tax/revenue realizable under the ORISED Act in the context of the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 14.08.2024, as the related ORISED Act matter is still sub-judice before the Apex Court, he said in another statement to the House.
Accordingly, no finalized amount towards arrears from 2005 onwards or yearly tax liability has been determined by the State Government at this stage.
