Odisha Assembly Monsoon Session: MMDR Amendment Row to Dominate Day 5

Bhubaneswar: The fifth day of the Odisha Assembly’s Monsoon Session is set to be overshadowed by heated debates over the MMDR Amendment Act.

Opposition parties, including the BJD and Congress, have intensified demands for withdrawal of the amendment, citing concerns over mineral taxation powers.

The BJD has also announced a protest outside the Assembly, raising the prospect of disruptions inside the House.

The first four days of the session witnessed repeated adjournments due to Opposition protests, limiting discussions on other pressing issues.

However, on September 25, the Assembly addressed the controversy surrounding textbook errors.

School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond revealed that 1,741 errors were found in SCERT textbooks for Classes 1–8.

Corrected editions are being supplied at a cost of ₹175 crore, with disciplinary action taken against 10 officials and proceedings initiated against six deputy directors.

Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena clarified that the government has not yet quantified the financial impact of Section 9D of the amended Act, though concerns remain over mineral tax revenues and arrears.

The Question Hour today is scheduled to cover departments including Health, Home, Parliamentary Affairs, Finance, General Administration, and Electronics & IT.

Whether normal business proceeds will depend on how protests unfold.