New Delhi / Surat  — In the Rajya Sabha today, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil accused the Gujarat Government and influential builder lobbies of orchestrating a land scam under the guise of modernizing Surat Airport.

Gohil alleged that in response to his official question in Parliament, the Central Government admitted that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) currently has no requirement for any additional land for the Surat Airport project.

“If there is no need for land, then why was a land acquisition notification issued in the first place?” Gohil asked.

He alleged that the Gujarat Government, in collaboration with the builder lobby, exploited local farmers by reserving large parcels of agricultural land for the airport development project. According to him, the land acquisition notification issued by the state triggered panic among farmers, who were then approached by private interests and pressured to sell their land at low rates.

“Builders bought land from distressed farmers based on the fear of compulsory acquisition. Then, after a few months, a new notification was issued by the Gujarat Government, releasing these very lands from reservation. This is nothing short of a conspiracy,” Gohil claimed.

He called for immediate action, demanding that all land sale documents executed between the issuance and subsequent withdrawal of the land acquisition notification be cancelled to protect the rights and interests of the affected farmers.

“This is not just about policy failure—it is about organized exploitation under the protection of government machinery,” Gohil said, urging a thorough investigation and legal action against those involved.

The Gujarat Government has yet to respond to these serious allegations. DeshGujarat