Jaipur (Rajasthan) : Rajasthan Minister Jogaram Patel on Monday reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting the Aravalli Hills, highlighting what he described as unprecedented efforts undertaken for their conservation.
“The amount of work done by our government and the steps taken to protect the Aravallis have never been done before. Our government remains fully committed to safeguarding the Aravallis,” Patel said. He also criticised the Congress, alleging that the party lacked a clear vision or agenda and was making misleading statements while ignoring its own past record.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress welcomed the Supreme Court’s recent directives on the proposed redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, a move initiated by the Modi government. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the issue requires deeper examination and recalled that the redefinition had faced opposition from several key institutions.
“The Indian National Congress welcomes the directives given by the Supreme Court on the redefinition of the Aravallis being pushed through by the Modi Government. The matter now needs to be studied in much greater detail,” Ramesh said in a post on X. He noted that the proposal had been opposed by the Forest Survey of India, the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee, and even the court-appointed amicus curiae.
Ramesh added that while the Supreme Court’s order has provided temporary relief, sustained resistance would be necessary to prevent the Aravallis from being opened up to mining, real estate, and other activities. “Today’s Supreme Court directive gives a flicker of hope,” he said.
The Congress leader also demanded the immediate resignation of the Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, claiming that the Supreme Court’s order effectively rejected the arguments advanced by the minister in support of the redefinition.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had put in abeyance its November 20 order that accepted the Union Environment Ministry’s definition of the Aravalli Hills and the Aravalli Range. The acceptance of that definition had raised concerns that large portions of the Aravalli region could be exposed to regulated mining activities.
