The Gauhati High Court expressed displeasure over the Assam government allotting 3,000 bighas to Mahabal Cement Pvt Ltd, not the Adani Group
A video is circulating on social media (here, here, and here) with the claim that it shows the Gauhati High Court expressing displeasure at the Assam BJP government’s decision to allot 1,860 acres (3,000 bighas) of land to the Adani Group for a cement factory. Let’s verify the claim made in the post in this article.
Claim: The Gauhati High Court has expressed displeasure over the Assam state government allocating 3,000 bighas of land to the Adani Group.
Fact: The Gauhati High Court did not express displeasure over the Assam government allotting 3,000 bighas of land to the Adani Group. On 12 August 2025, the court expressed displeasure over the Assam government allotting 3,000 bighas of land to Mahabal Cement Private Limited in Dima Hasao district, a Scheduled Area. The Adani Group has no connection with Mahabal Cement, which is part of JK Lakshmi Cement/JK Group. However, multiple media reports have stated that several people approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) regarding the government’s decision to allot 9,000 bighas of land to Adani group company’s cement plant in Dima Hasao. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
An internet search using relevant keywords to verify whether the Gauhati High Court expressed displeasure over the Assam government’s allotment of 3,000 bighas of land to the Adani Group led us to multiple media reports (here and here). According to these reports, the Gauhati High Court took up the matter of 3,000 bighas of land being allotted to a private company in a tribal district of Assam and expressed its displeasure. The reports mention that on 12 August 2025, the Gauhati High Court criticised the Assam government for allotting 3,000 bighas of land to Mahabal Cement Private Limited in Dima Hasao district, which is recognised as a Scheduled Area.
In October 2024, the Assam government reportedly allotted 2,000 bighas of land to Kolkata-based Mahabal Cement Private Limited in Dima Hasao district. A month later, in November 2024, it reportedly allotted another 1,000 bighas. Dima Hasao is a tribal-majority hill district in Assam, governed under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, with administration carried out by the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC).
A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, which heard two petitions (WP(C)/467/2025 and WP(C)/337/2025) in the Gauhati High Court regarding this land allotment on 12 August 2025, made the following oral remark during the hearing: “3,000 bighas!… What is happening? 3,000 bighas have been allotted to a private company?… What kind of decision is this? Is this some kind of joke or something else? Your need is not an issue… It is an issue of public interest.” The case was adjourned for further hearing on 01 September 2025. The order dated 12 August 2025 makes no mention of the Adani Group in either of the two petitions (here, here).
A subsequent search into whether the Adani Group had any connection with Mahabal Cement Private Limited revealed that Mahabal Cement Private Limited is a company that belongs to the JK Lakshmi Cement/JK Group. In February 2024, JK Lakshmi Cement, which is part of the JK Group, acquired Mahabal Cement Private Limited.
On 18 August 2025, the Adani Group issued a media statement clarifying that reports claiming the Assam government allotted 3,000 bighas of land to the group are false, and emphasised that it has no connection with Mahabal Cement Private Limited.
However, in February 2025, during Advantage Assam 2.0, the Government of Assam’s flagship initiative aimed at transforming the state into a global investment and infrastructure hub, the Adani Group announced plans to invest ₹50,000 crore in various sectors in Assam. As part of this, the Assam state government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ambuja Cements Limited in July 2025 for an investment of ₹10,000 crore. The agreement also includes the establishment of three cement manufacturing units in Hojai, Rangia, and Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.
Multiple reports (here, here, here) have stated that several people approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) regarding the government’s decision to allot 9,000 bighas of land to Adani’s cement plant in Umrangso, Dima Hasao district.
To sum up, the Gauhati High Court expressed displeasure over the Assam government allotting 3,000 bighas to Mahabal Cement Pvt Ltd, not the Adani Group.