Ahead of the Seventh Session (Monsoon Session) of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly commencing Tuesday, an all-party meeting was convened at the Assembly premises on Monday to ensure smooth conduct of House proceedings.
Chaired by Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, the meeting was attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and key leaders across party lines. The upcoming session is scheduled to run until October 3, featuring a total of nine working days.
Speaker Appeals for Co-operation
During the meeting, Speaker Surama Padhy sought the co-operation of both ruling and opposition members to run the House smoothly and peacefully. Leaders across parties agreed on holding constructive discussions on public interest matters and key bills.
Prominent leaders present included:
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Government Representation: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
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Opposition Representation: BJD Deputy Leader Prasanna Acharya, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, Deputy Chief Whip Pratap Keshari Deb, and Congress Legislature Party Leader Ramachandra Kadam.
MMDR Act Amendment Set to Spark Heat
Despite the unanimous agreement on orderly proceedings, the upcoming session is expected to be heated over the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2026.
The opposition BJD and Congress plan to corner the BJP-led government over the prospective financial losses the amendment could inflict on mineral-rich Odisha.
“Our party will raise the MMDR issue from the very beginning of the session. Due to the new law, the state stands to lose nearly ₹1 lakh crore in outstanding mining dues.” — Prasanna Acharya, BJD Deputy Leader
Commenting after the meeting, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik stated that the opposition has demanded a thorough discussion on the MMDR Act. She added that whether to support smooth assembly functioning will depend on decisions taken by the party leadership.
Meanwhile, security arrangements around the Odisha Legislative Assembly have been tightened ahead of Tuesday’s commencement.
