Forest for the Few? Congress Leader Accuses Governments of Handing Over Woodlands to Corporate Interests
Congress leader Jitu Patwari, speaking in Bhopal, accused the central and Madhya Pradesh governments of urging citizens to plant trees while allegedly handing over entire forest areas to the Adani group. He demanded an immediate halt to policies enabling privatization of natural resources and called for prioritizing public and environmental welfare.
Patwari alleged that successive policy adjustments have been crafted to benefit large corporate houses at the expense of ecological balance. According to him, these shifts are enabling the gradual privatization of natural resources, weakening safeguards intended to preserve forest zones, and undermining long-term conservation goals. He argued that such decisions not only threaten the environment but also compromise the welfare of local communities whose livelihoods depend on forest ecosystems.
Calling the policies “anti-people” and “anti-environment,” Patwari urged the government to immediately halt any measures that place forests or natural assets under private control. He insisted that public welfare should guide policy-making and demanded transparent, citizen-focused governance when dealing with ecologically sensitive areas.
As the debate over corporate access to natural resources continues to intensify nationally, Patwari’s remarks add to growing political scrutiny over environmental policy reforms. His criticism underscores broader concerns about balancing economic interests with ecological preservation—an issue likely to remain central in public discourse.

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