Congress accuses Modi government of handing 1,050 acres in Bhagalpur to Adani Group for a power project at a token lease, calling it a “political gift” ahead of Bihar elections.

The Congress party has launched a strong attack on the Modi government, alleging that 1,050 acres of farmland in Bhagalpur’s Pirpainti block has been handed over to the Adani Group for a power project at a token lease of just one rupee per year for 33 years.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed that this move is yet another example of how the BJP “gifts” large projects to Adani before elections. “From Maharashtra to Jharkhand, and now in Bihar, every time the BJP senses defeat, land and projects are transferred to Adani,” he alleged.

The opposition further accused the government of silencing local farmers by placing them under virtual house arrest during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar, to prevent protests against the project.

Khera pointed out that the power plant, originally announced in the Union Budget with ₹21,400 crore allocated for government construction, was later handed over to Adani instead. He argued that this deal would not only displace farmers but also burden Bihar’s people, who would have to pay nearly ₹6 per unit for electricity generated from their own land and coal—higher than rates in other states.

Calling it “double loot,” Congress said farmers were forced to give up land under pressure, while millions of trees were sacrificed for the project. The opposition accused the BJP of hypocrisy—running campaigns like Ek Pedh Maa Ke Naam while allowing massive deforestation for corporate interests.

As the controversy grows, the key question remains: Why was public land, meant for a state-backed project, diverted to a private group on such favourable terms?