Sat Oct 04 14:10:50 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has accused the BJP-led government of favoring the Adani Group by providing them with land at a minimal rate for a power plant project in Bhagalpur, Bihar. He alleges that the government acquired over 1,000 acres of land from farmers and sold it to Adani for ₹1 per acre for the Pirpainti power project. Kumar also claims that the project, initially conceived under the UPA, was handed over to the Adani Group under questionable circumstances and that the power purchase agreement is more expensive than similar agreements in other states. He criticizes the project’s potential profits going to the Modi government instead of benefiting the people of Bihar. Kumar suggests this is a pattern of the BJP gifting projects to Adani before elections to influence outcomes.

**News Article:**

**Congress Leader Accuses Government of ‘Land Theft’ in Bihar Power Plant Deal**

**Patna, October 4, 2025:** Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, accusing them of orchestrating a “land theft” in favor of the Adani Group regarding a power plant project in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Speaking at a press conference in Patna today, Kumar alleged that the government acquired over 1,000 acres of land from farmers and then sold it to Adani for a mere ₹1 per acre for the Pirpainti power project.

“The ‘vote thief government’ is a ‘land thief’ too,” Kumar declared, hinting at the BJP’s alleged tactic of favoring the Adani Group before elections. He claimed that the government’s motive behind the recent land survey was to identify and seize land for their “friends.”

Kumar pointed out that the power project was initiated by the previous UPA government but was subsequently “handed over” to the Adani Group “under questionable terms.” He also questioned the unusually high power rates agreed upon for the project in Bihar, noting that Adani Group secures contracts at lower rates in other states.

Echoing similar concerns, Congress leader Pawan Khera had previously alleged a pattern of the BJP gifting power projects to Adani Group before Assembly elections in states like Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, suggesting an attempt to influence election outcomes.

The Pirpainti thermal power project is expected to generate 10,000-12,000 direct and indirect job opportunities during the construction phase, and 3,000 permanent jobs “once it gets operational”.

Kumar highlighted that the project is expected to generate significant profits, which he claimed would benefit Prime Minister Modi’s coffers instead of the people of Bihar. He also alleged that the central government withdrew its support from the project, which was initially intended to be a joint venture with the state.

A CPI(ML) team recently visited Pirpainti and reported concerns about the land agreement and the farmers whose land was taken for the project. The allegations are likely to fuel further political debate as Bihar heads towards Assembly elections.

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