Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said a delegation of Congress legislators will meet Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya to register their protest against the Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2019, which was passed in the Assembly on Wednesday amid protests and walkout by the Opposition members.

Mr. Hooda said that the amendment made to the PLP Act, 1900, would prove disastrous for the oldest mountain range of the Aravalis near Gurugram and Faridabad. “Opening up thousands of acres of land to non-forest activity will destroy the fragile Aravali hills and forests,” he claimed.

The Congress leader said the ruling BJP “overlooked” the objections raised by his party and members of Indian National Lok Dal while amending the 120-year-old Act.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said that the amendment Bill was the “need of the hour” as it was a “very old” Act and much has changed over the period of time.

Mr. Hooda said the Congress members had suggested that a House Committee, comprising members across political spectrum, be formed to examine the amended legislation, but the ruling benches rejected the move.

He said that the Congress members had pointed out that there was a “big scam” involved in the passage of the PLPA amendment Bill and that builders and land sharks stood to profit a great deal from the changes.

“We will strongly protest against the planned ecological disaster of the Aravalis and will lead a delegation to the Haryana Governor to appeal to him not to give his assent to the new Act,” Mr. Hooda said.