Halvad: A fresh controversy has erupted in state politics, as Congress leader Pal Ambaliya has levelled serious allegations against BJP MLA Prakash Varmora, claiming that rules for converting agricultural land into non-agricultural (NA) land have been altered to benefit legislators.

The issue is linked to the Halvad–Vataman 765 KV power transmission line project. According to Ambaliya, once a government gazette notification is issued, farmers’ land cannot be converted to NA status. However, he alleged that despite the notification being in force, the MLA’s land was converted into non-agricultural land.

The Congress leader claimed that a government notification was issued on January 31, 2025, and questioned how MLA Varmora’s land was converted to NA status just three months later, on April 3, 2025.

Raising another question, Ambaliya asked, “How did Prakash Varmora’s name and his land survey number allegedly disappear from notices issued by the company and the district collector?”

Ambaliya further alleged that a farmer in Tankara received a notice even though his land had already been converted to NA status before the gazette notification. He questioned why different rules appeared to apply in the MLA’s case.

He also claimed that company documents show an 810-metre-long power line corridor passing through the MLA’s land, yet the collector’s order allegedly does not mention it, despite containing detailed information about the corridor and poles.

MLA Prakash Varmora denies allegations

Responding to the accusations, MLA Prakash Varmora dismissed them as baseless. He clarified that his land was converted in April and said he also received a notice on May 31, 2025.

“My land was already vacant, there were no houses there, and it became non-agricultural in April. I also received a notice on May 31, 2025. The BJP government works for everyone. I have been contributing for generations and will continue to do so,” the MLA said.

Varmora added that he has consistently acted as a mediator between farmers and the government to ensure that farmers receive maximum compensation. DeshGujarat