Odisha’s mining resources will be exhausted in five years if BJP govt continues giving patronage to mineral loot: BJD

The death of two workers in a blast during illegal mining activities in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district has brought into sharp focus the virtual daylight loot of mining resources, with the Opposition Biju Janata Dal warning that “all the mineral resources in the state will be exhausted in the next 5 years as the illegal mining goes unabated”.

A tragic explosion at a dolomite mine in Gopalpur village of Dhenkanal district claimed the lives of two workers and injured several others. The unlawful mining allegedly continued despite the expiration of its permit and lease, BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty said on Monday.

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The blasting permit for the quarry expired on September 30, 2025, while its lease expired on December 31, 2025. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Elohim Patil also confirmed that the mining licence had expired on December 31, 2025. The BJD alleged that illegal mining operations continued despite the expiry, claiming they were carried out with government patronage.

The Leader of the Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, posted on the social media site ‘X’, saying, “I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due to a rockfall following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal. I convey my deepest condolences to the family members, along with prayers for the eternal peace of the departed souls. Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers’ safety measures, let the government direct its attention towards immediately expediting rescue operations.”

In the past, the Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly wrote a letter to the Chief Minister urging and end to mineral looting in the state, while the MP from Balasore also wrote to the Chief Minister to stop illegal sand mining in the Subarnarekha River.

Despite all these efforts, the BJP government has not taken any action, which shows that mining loot is going on all over Odisha at the instigation of the government. As a result, the revenue collection from major minerals has fallen from Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 34,000 crore.

Similarly, the revenue collection from minor minerals has fallen from Rs 14,085 crore to Rs 6,000 crore.

Dr. Mohanty further said that if the alleged looting of Odisha’s mineral resources by the BJP government continues, all the mineral resources will be exhausted within the next five years.

The BJD leader further demanded that the person responsible for the blast be immediately arrested and strict action be taken for carrying out the illegal mining operation.