Demanding JPC probe into Adani issue again, Congress cites two examples to allege how government “helped” the group

Congress accuses Modi government of favoring Adani group, demands JPC probe, citing examples of alleged government assistance to Adani companies.

Stepping up its attack on the Narendra Modi government, the Congress on Wednesday (August 14, 2024) reiterated its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue by citing two examples to argue how the government is helping the Adani group.

Taking to social media platform, X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a Power Ministry memorandum of August 12, amending the Guidelines of Import/Export of Electricity (Cross Border), 2018, that will help an Adani group company. The company, which generates electricity from Jharkhand and was supplying power to Bangladesh, is now being permitted to sell power in India itself, Mr. Ramesh alleged.

“The non-biological PM moves with lightning speed when the interests of his favourite tempowallah are involved. Adani imports coal from Australia to generate power in Jharkhand and supply it to Bangladesh. It is the only company allowed to do so through a power purchase agreement which has been very controversial. Now the company has been permitted to sell that electricity in India itself,” Mr. Ramesh claimed.

In another post, Mr. Ramesh alleged that the Gujarat government was helping Adani Ports to “secure a monopoly” on the State’s port sector.

He said the Gujarat government grants private ports a 30-year concession period on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis, after which ownership gets transferred to the government of Gujarat. Adani Ports currently has control over Mundra, Hazira, and Dahej ports on the basis of this model, the Congress leader added.

Before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Mr. Ramesh claimed, Adani Ports requested the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to extend this concession period by another 45 years to 75 years in total.

“This was much beyond the maximum permissible period of 50 years, but the GMB hastened to request the Gujarat Government to do so anyway. The GMB was in such a hurry that it did so without approval from its Board, resulting in the file’s return,” he alleged.