Jharkhand government reduced land price to help Adani: Opposition

The opposition parties on Tuesday alleged that the Jharkhand government has lowered the rate of the land in Santhal Pargana area where the Adani group has proposed to set up a power plant.

Pradeep Yadav, a legislator of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P), brought an adjournment motion in the state assembly on Tuesday.

"The issue is important and all the business should be stopped and the adjournment motion should be accepted," said Pradeep Yadav when the house assembled at 11 a.m.

Assembly speaker Dinesh Oraon rejected the motion.

While raising the issue Yadav said: "The government rate of the land prices have been reduced drastically to help the Adani group which has proposed to set up power plant in Santhal Pargana.

"The land wners will get one tenth of the exiting price of the land."

JMM legislator Stephen Marandi supported the JVM-P demand.

"The issue is serious. The non-saleable land rate should be fixed after comparing with rate of saleable land," said Marandi.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Rai said: "This issue was raised in the last session. First of all it should be decided whether the adjournment motion is acceptable or not. The members can raise the issue by bringing questions during question hour."

The speaker later rejected the motion. Last month, the Adani group had signed a MoU with the state government to set up a 1600 MW power plant in Santhal Pargana at a cost of Rs.15,000 crore.