A 'gift' to Adani in Bihar? Congress Raises Questions over Land Transfer for Power Project

The Congress party unleashed a scathing attack on the Modi government on Monday, accusing it of gifting 1,050 acres of prime land in Bihar's Bhagalpur district to the Adani Group for a massive power plant project. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed this move is a desperate ploy by the BJP to placate businessman Gautam Adani as electoral defeat in Bihar's upcoming assembly polls looms large. The allegations, aired at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, have stirred controversy, though the Centre, Bihar government, and Adani Group have yet to respond.

Khera highlighted the Pirpainti area in Bhagalpur, where over 10 lakh trees and the 1,050 acres were allegedly handed over to Adani for a nominal Rs 1 per year lease for 33 years. "This is a blatant misuse of public resources," he asserted, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar on the same day coincided with villagers being placed under house arrest to prevent protests. The project, a 2,400-megawatt ultra-supercritical thermal power plant with an estimated cost of Rs 21,400 crore, was initially announced in the Union Budget as a government-led initiative. However, Khera alleged, the administration later withdrew and awarded it to Adani, turning it into a "double loot" of Bihar's land, resources, and taxpayers' money.

The Congress leader drew parallels to similar "gifts" before other elections, citing examples from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, where Adani secured major projects like the Dharavi redevelopment just ahead of polls. "Whenever the BJP senses defeat, they rush to favor Adani," Khera charged, labeling him the 'rashtra seth' (national tycoon). He criticized the hypocrisy of BJP's environmental campaigns, such as 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name), while undervaluing fertile farmland—revered by farmers as their 'mother'—at a mere Re 1 annually.

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Khera further alleged coercion in land acquisition, claiming farmers were intimidated, forced to sign agreements with pencils to allow alterations, and displaced without fair compensation. The power generated from Bihar's coal would be sold back to its residents at an exorbitant Rs 6.75 per unit, he said, compared to Rs 3-4 in states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. This disparity, according to Khera, exemplifies how the project exploits Bihar's resources while benefiting private interests.

The accusations come at a sensitive time, with Bihar's assembly elections on the horizon and the BJP-JD(U) alliance facing anti-incumbency. Congress has positioned itself as a defender of farmers and the poor, vowing to intensify scrutiny on such deals. Political analysts suggest this could escalate into a major poll issue, highlighting perceived cronyism between the BJP and Adani. As the controversy brews, calls for transparency and accountability in public-private partnerships grow louder, potentially reshaping the narrative ahead of the elections.

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