The Congress party slammed the Modi government on February 12 for allocating land to Adani group for building the world’s largest solar park near India-Pakistan border, in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch, reported ET Energyworld.
Commenting on a report by The Guardian on X, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and All India Congress Committee general secretary (oganisation) KC Venugopal said that the government has jeopardised national security and demanded that the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister provide an explanation.
Kharge, addressing PM Modi in a social media post, questioned, “You have endangered national security at our borders in order to benefit private billionaires! Is it true that you have gifted precious strategic land, just 1 km near the international border with Pakistan, to your 'Dear Friend' by relaxing border security rules?"
According to reports, neither the government nor the Adani group has responded.
Border Security Concerns
The Adani Group is developing a 30GW solar plant and building the world’s largest renewable energy park over area of 538 sq km at Khavda in Kutch, barely a kilometre from the Pakistan border.
Previously, security protocols prevented construction in this area. However, the Gujarat government wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in early 2023 to seek permission for building infrastructure projects on the land near the border, reported The Guardian. It further stated that a “confidential meeting” took place in Delhi on April 21, 2023. At the time of meeting, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) had possession of the land that was leased out by the Gujarat government.
By May 8, 2023, the Centre had changed protocols to allow infrastructure projects, and by August, the Adani group secured possession of the land in the Rann of Kutch, The Guardian added.
What is Khavda Project?
The Khavda project covers an area five times larger than Paris and nearly as large as Mumbai, reported ET. Launched in December 2022, it began production by December 31, 2023.
Adani Green Energy plans to invest Rs 1.5 lakh crore, while the Adani Group will invest Rs 2.3 lakh crore in renewable energy and manufacturing by 2030. The hybrid energy cluster generates solar power in the morning and wind energy in the evening, with an operational capacity of 2,000 MW of solar energy.
