New Delhi(H.S): Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh has once again targeted the Center regarding Great Nicobar. He has claimed that the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) have not been followed in this project, which may violate the environment and the rights of tribal communities.
Jairam Ramesh said in his post that on August 18, 2022, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration had issued certificates of settlement and consent of forest rights for the project, but retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Meena Gupta has challenged it in the Calcutta High Court, alleging violation of the Forest Rights Act.
Ramesh said that on February 19, 2025, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs had requested to remove itself from the matter, while on September 8, 2025, the same ministry has sought a report from the local administration, which shows ambiguity on the issue.
He said that the environmental clearance has been challenged in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), despite this the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has invited expressions of interest for felling and transportation of trees. He also mentioned the declaration of Galthia Bay as a major port and the negligence of the Environment Minister.
It is worth mentioning that recently the President of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi also wrote an article in an English newspaper and raised objections to this project and expressed the fear of tribal displacement and ecological damage.
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