The Aravallis are crucial to groundwater recharge, which is significant given the water scarcity the region faces during harsh summer months (Express: Abhinav Saha)Addressing a rally in Gurgaon’s Wazirabad village , Gurgaon MP and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Planning, Rao Inderjit Singh, Monday said he welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision in the Punjab Land Preservation Act amendment case.
A statement issued by the district PR office said the Aravallis were very important to the ecosystem and that if it is excluded from the Act, it will lead to people building big structures, the way it has happened in villages near Delhi.
Amendments to the PLP Act were passed in the Assembly in Haryana, where a BJP government is in power. The amendments effectively left thousands of acres of the Aravallis vulnerable and “legitimised” hundreds of structures that have been constructed on PLPA notified land.
The Supreme Court, on March 1, came down heavily on the Haryana government for the move, calling it “sheer contempt” and restrained the state from implementing it.
The Opposition also alleged that the BJP government in the state amended the Act to give benefits to the builders’ lobby.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the amendments were part of a “Rs 50,000 crore scam”.
