NEW DELHI: Refuting former environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s charges that it was surviving on the Narendra Modi government’s largesse, the Adani Group credited on Monday the liberalisation policies of the previous Congress governments for its prosperity.
In a statement, the group – headed by Gautam Adani – also accused Ramesh of “undermining the contribution of the Congress” in liberalisation.
After the Congress leader’s attack, the Adani Group said in an e- mail response: “The Adani Group is proud about their contribution to Nation Building. This was made possible because of the opportunities provided due to the opening-up of the Indian economy. Shri Jairam Ramesh is undermining the contribution of Congress which ushered in the era of liberalisation. Our late Prime Minister Hon’ble Shri Rajiv Gandhi had conceived liberalisation and it was further strengthened by Congress Govt. in 1991. Most leading Corporates of today’s India, including Adani Group, owe their success to this.”
Earlier in the day, Ramesh countered industrialist Gautam Adani’s claims that he, as a Union minister, had given permission for mining forest land area in Chhattisgarh.
Standing by his decision of permitting the allocation of a coal mine to the Rajasthan government, Ramesh said: “What Shri Adani has conveniently forgotten is that the issue now is not that he is the mine operator selected by the Rajasthan government. Shri Adani has deliberately sidestepped the real issue: That the Chhattisgarh government has cancelled the rights that have to be settled under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 before the mine can be developed.”
{{/usCountry}}Standing by his decision of permitting the allocation of a coal mine to the Rajasthan government, Ramesh said: “What Shri Adani has conveniently forgotten is that the issue now is not that he is the mine operator selected by the Rajasthan government. Shri Adani has deliberately sidestepped the real issue: That the Chhattisgarh government has cancelled the rights that have to be settled under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 before the mine can be developed.”
{{/usCountry}}In its response, the Adani Group said: “The mine is owned by the Rajasthan Government. The clearance was issued by Chhattisgarh Govt. to Rajasthan Govt. Hence, we are surprised and fail to understand, why Shri Ramesh is seeking an explanation from us on getting any benefit/favour in the case?”
In an interview to an economic daily on Monday, Adani said the Rajasthan government owned the said mine and that the Adani group was just a contractor.