Bhubaneswar, August 22: The Odisha unit of the Congress has launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act and termed the new Mines act as a ‘Dark Act'.

A delegation of Congress MLAs led by Legislature Party Leader and Pottangi MLA Ramachandra Kadam on Friday met Governor Dr Ramachandra Kadam and submitted a memorandum for summoning a two-day special session of Odisha Assembly to discuss on the new Mines Act.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, passed by the Parliament on August 13 seeks to restrict the State’s powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.

“I write to you today with a sense of profound urgency on behalf of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Odisha, and the millions of citizens, tribal communities whose fate stands severely threatened by the recently enacted above federal legislation,” the memorandum read.

“This newly passed central legislation, which we rightfully designate as 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 away from the people of our state,” it stated.

The delegation urged the Governor to intervene in the matter to safeguard the State’s federal rights.

“As the constitutional head of Odisha-a state heavily enriched with valuable mineral resources -your timely intervention is vital to safeguard our state's federal rights,” the party said.

The party alleged that 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, it reduces the State Government to a passive spectator, it stated.

In the two-page memorandum the party said, “A vast majority of Odisha's mining hubs- fall directly under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. “This Act bypasses the mandatory constitutional requirement of seeking free, prior, and informed consent from the Gram Sabhas and Tribal Advisory Councils (TAC).”

The party alleged that the MMDR-2026 actively dilutes the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006. “The Act dilutes state autonomy over the utilization of DMF funds, which are meant to directly compensate and develop mining-affected local communities,” the party said.

“Given the profound constitutional crises triggered by this legislation, these issues cannot wait for a routine assembly calendar. The elected representatives of Odisha must be given an immediate platform to debate, scrutinize, and pass a unified state resolution against the predatory clauses of this federal overreach.

“Therefore, exercising the duties vested in your high office, I earnestly request you to invoke Article 174(1) of the Constitution of India and direct the State Government to immediately summon an Urgent two-days Special Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The floor of the House must be used without delay to address this emergency, protect Odisha's territorial mineral wealth, and defend the constitutional rights of our people,” urged Kadam.