In Western Rajasthan, a tense calm prevails as local communities and a prominent conservationist await a long-promised government decision. The fate of 8,000 acres of crucial pasture and sacred oran land hangs in the balance, two months after a massive protest was suspended on the assurance of legal safeguards.
A Promise Made, A Decision Delayed
Back in September, conservationist Sumer Singh Bhati mobilized thousands of farmers and livestock grazers for a significant protest in Jaisalmer. They demanded protection for the extensive pasture and oran lands—community-conserved sacred groves vital for ecology and livelihoods in the desert region. The agitation was called off in October following a state government assurance to provide legal protection for these lands.
However, as of now, no official order has been issued to fulfill that promise. "We will wait another month. If nothing happens, we will restart the agitation," Bhati stated in a recent interview, underscoring the growing impatience among the communities.
Land Policy: A Tale of Two Speeds
While the decision on protecting common lands remains in limbo, the state government has been actively fast-tracking the allotment of cheaper government land to private companies. This dual-track approach is creating significant distortions in the local economy and land market.
Bhati argues that government land should serve the common good or strategic purposes. "If public land was only for commercial use, we would have no parks or open spaces, only buildings," he said. "In the desert, its purpose is to protect the ecosystem and support people, livestock, and the environment."
He pointed out a critical economic impact: "If local people want to sell, they do not get a good price because the govt is providing cheaper land elsewhere to private companies." This practice effectively undermines the value of privately held land in the region.
Solar Boom or Real Estate Game?
The issue is deeply intertwined with Rajasthan's rapid expansion in solar energy. While the state leads the nation in installed solar generation capacity, stakeholders argue this success is superficial. They claim the government's policy is overly focused on land allocation and power generation, neglecting the broader industrial ecosystem.
"Industry stakeholders claim the govt's land-driven, generation-centric policy has turned the solar energy sector into a real estate game," with minimal downstream benefits like job creation, economic activity, or innovation. DD Agarwal, director of Samta Power, an NGO in the power sector, warned of long-term consequences.
"So far, Rajasthan has largely stayed out of the race to build a solar ecosystem that captures manufacturing, innovation, jobs, and higher tax revenues," Agarwal said. "If this continues, the state risks locking itself into a low-value role, supplying only land, while other states build large solar industrial hubs."
A senior executive from a solar manufacturing firm echoed this, stating that Rajasthan has missed a clear industrial logic. The state is ideal for quick solar park deployment, but manufacturing requires a different ecosystem based on capital subsidies, shared facilities, and policy certainty—areas where states like Madhya Pradesh are making strides.
The core concern is that Rajasthan's current model, centered on cheap land for generation projects, creates few permanent jobs and limited local economic activity once projects are commissioned. The standoff over the 8,000 acres of pasture land thus symbolizes a larger debate about sustainable development, equitable land use, and whether Rajasthan will secure a high-value future in the renewable energy transition or remain a mere supplier of barren plots.
