Bhubaneswar: The issue relating to purchase of land by Adani Group near Gandhamardan hills in Balangir district rocked the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday amid a faceoff between the ruling BJP and opposition.
While senior BJD MLA and deputy leader of opposition Prasanna Acharya voiced concern over reports about permission for mining activities by Adani Group, Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo reacted sharply to the opposition attack on the government over the controversial issue.
Acharya sought to know if the government has given permission to the group for bauxite mining in Gandhamardan area. He said permission had been given to a company to extract bauxite in 1980 but the move triggered a massive public protest.
Taking a dig at the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Singh Deo informed the House that the previous government had allowed Adani Group to buy land in the area. Permission for purchase of land by the group was not granted by the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, he said, adding that the BJP government will never take any such step.
The Deputy CM further asserted the BJP government will not allow any mining activity in Gandhamardan. “Gandhamardan will not be allowed to be destroyed,” Singh Deo said, adding that he will also join the protest if any mining operation is allowed in the region.
Notably, the purchase of land by Adani Group in Balangir district has snowballed into a political controversy with the ruling BJP and opposition BJD exchanging barbs. There is apprehension among people of Balangir and Bargarh districts about possible exploitation of the sacred Gandhamardan hills having rich bauxite deposits.
