Gujarat: The opposition Congress party in Gujarat State assembly informed that the BJP government gave away almost 2,000 hectares of forest land to the industries for commercial purposes in the last three years. The Porbandar legislator from Congress, Arjun Modhwadia alleged that BJP provided special benefits to the chosen few through such conversion.
While speaking on the budget proposals brought in by the forest department and environment department in the Gujarat state assembly on Tuesday, Arjun Modhwadia, the Porbandar legislator from Congress said, "537 hectare of forest land was provided to 220 units in 2020-21, 533.48 hectares forest land was provided to 96 units in 2021-22 and 318 hectares for 74 units was provided in 2022-23. Thus in 3 years’ time, almost 2000 hectares of forest land was converted for commercial purposes."
Forest Land Provided To ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, Says Modhwadia
"They (BJP government) gave special benefits to chosen ones. The government provided forest land to ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) for 300 megawatts powerhouse generation. The company never built that Power station, but possessed the land and thereafter poisonous slag was being dumped through the Steel plant that was built over the land. When an alert citizen filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court, the government regularised that land given to the industry," alleged Modhwadia.
"Moreover, the Gujarat government provided forest land in Surat (Hazira) and the land which was obtained in return had a negligible value compared to the forest land that was provided and that land was converted for commercial use at a jet speed," said Modhwadia.
