"Gehlot government gave consent to this issue": Rajasthan State Finance Commission Chairman Arun Chaturvedi slams Congress over Aravalli issue

Chaturvedi also blamed the Gehlot goverment for waving a green flag to the matter in 2002

" I am surprised that Gehlot himself, when he was CM in 2002, and his government was in power, gave his consent to this very issue. Today, he is raising the issue again, stirring up trouble unnecessarily," Chaturvedi said.

On the questions raised by the opposition related to the central government's endorsement of the latest '100-metre' definition of the Aravalli ranges and the potential exposure to mining, Arun Chaturvedi said, "The Supreme Court has not yet issued any order; instead, it has asked the central government to prepare and present a comprehensive action plan on this matter."

He futher asserted that the central and state governments have continuously worked to protect the Aravalli,s adding that in 98% of the Aravallis, mining is prohibited and hence stated that "there is no justification for politicising this issue at this stage..."

Arun Chaturvedi's statement follows former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's allegations on the BJP-led central and state government of attempting to "jeopardise the future of Rajasthan" by diluting protection for Aravalli ranges, adding that the move was intended to benefit the mining mafia and was contrary to judicial orders and established government records.

Gehlot said an expert committee in 2003 had recommended the 100-metre definition from a livelihood perspective, which the state government later placed before the Supreme Court in an affidavit on February 16, 2010. However, the apex court rejected the proposal on February 19, 2010. He asserted that the Congress government fully respected the court's order and subsequently commissioned scientific mapping of the Aravallis through the Forest Survey of India. He also highlighted the measures taken by his governemnt to curb illegal mining activities.

Meanwhile, the centre, in a latest statement, has claimed that "contrary to alarmist claims, there is no imminent threat to the Aravallis' ecology."

"Ongoing afforestation, eco-sensitive zone notifications, and strict monitoring of mining and urban activities ensure that the Aravallis continue to serve as a natural heritage and ecological shield for the nation. India's resolve is clear: the Aravallis will be safeguarded for present and future generations while balancing conservation with responsible development," the statement said.In a recent judgment delivered in November, the apex court endorsed the recommendations of a committee led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), constituted in May 2024 to frame a uniform policy definition of the Aravallis for mining regulation. The committee included forest department secretaries from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, along with representatives from the Forest Survey of India, the Central Empowered Committee and the Geological Survey of India. (ANI)