Polity & Governance
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urges Assembly Speaker to convene special session over mineral policy
What happened
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro requesting the convening of a special Assembly session to discuss the state’s mineral policy. The move follows recent policy changes and aims to address concerns over resource governance and stakeholder consultations.
Key facts
bullet: The letter was sent on August 14, 2026, by Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha.
bullet: The request was addressed to Surjya Narayan Patro, the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
bullet: The move follows policy changes in the state’s mineral sector, though specific details of the revisions were not disclosed in the report.
bullet: A special Assembly session is a temporary sitting outside the regular legislative calendar, convened to address urgent or specific issues.
Context
bullet: Odisha is a major mineral-rich state in India, contributing significantly to the country’s coal, bauxite, chromite and iron ore production. bullet: The state’s mineral policy governs the allocation, extraction and revenue sharing of mineral resources, impacting both industries and local communities. bullet: Recent policy revisions have sparked debates over transparency, environmental safeguards and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. bullet: The Assembly Speaker holds the constitutional authority to summon special sessions of the state legislature.