Congress alleges major scandal, as Adani Green slashes Satara hydropower project cost by 99%

Congress on Friday targeted the Modi Government over Adani Green Energy Limited sought to revise the cost of its 1,500 MW pumped-storage hydropower project in Maharashtra's Satara district downwards by 99%. The party called it a "scandal of gigantic proportions" and renewed its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani Group. The party's attack followed an Indian Express report on the revised figure.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X that the project, sanctioned last year at Rs 5,675 crore, is now stated in an affidavit to cost Rs 56.75 crore.

“Over the past decade, the Modani conglomerate’s astronomical expansion has been a saga of well-documented scams. The Indian National Congress has, since March 2023, been demanding a thorough investigation through a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into its growth and takeover of company after company, industry after industry after industry, public asset after public asset, that had been documented in detail,” said Ramesh.

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The report says the lower cost also reduces the amount Adani Green must deposit for wildlife sanctuary conservation and protection. That deposit falls to ₹2.27 crore from ₹227 crore. State Board for Wildlife seeks a deposit of 4% of the project cost for conservation. The company has deposited 1% of the project cost, ₹56.75 lakh, into the account of Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

Ramesh said the development was "unbelievable" and another example of what he called the "Modani" conglomerate getting away with. He said the Congress has demanded a comprehensive parliamentary investigation into the group since March 2023.

"It points to a scandal of gigantic proportions, reinforcing the demand for a JPC into its operations,” Ramesh said.

A complaint was filed by Rohan Bhate, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Satara district, registered on October 30 with the Prime Minister’s grievance redressal portal and to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change directed the state forest department on November 6 to investigate the matter on priority, and the state forest department has also initiated a probe.