Stories
Congress Slams Centre's "Astonishing U-Turn" on Great Nicobar Project Hearings
- •The Congress criticized the Modi government for moving the Supreme Court to stay Calcutta High Court proceedings on petitions against the Great Nicobar Island Project.
- •Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a media report indicating the Union government's plea to halt hearings on alleged Forest Rights Act violations in the Rs 92,000-crore project.
- •Ramesh stated that the Modi government has been "bulldozing" the project with "deeply flawed" environmental approvals and "pre-fixed" impact assessment reports.
- •Five petitions are pending in the Calcutta High Court, with one concerning serious violations of the Forest Rights Act affecting local tribal communities, scheduled for final hearing on November 25 and 26, 2026.
- •Despite agreeing to the Calcutta High Court hearings, the Modi government now seeks a stay from the Supreme Court, a move the Congress labels an "astonishing U-turn".
Key Questions Answered
The Congress slammed the government for moving the Supreme Court to stay proceedings in the Calcutta High Court regarding petitions against the Rs 92,000-crore project, which it claims is an ecological disaster that violates the Forest Rights Act and threatens tribal communities.
Five petitions filed by public-spirited citizens and civil society groups are pending in the Calcutta High Court. One key petition, filed by a former senior environment and tribal affairs ministry official, highlights severe violations of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 affecting local tribal populations.
The final hearing in the Calcutta High Court was fixed for November 25 and 26, 2026. However, the Modi government made a U-turn by approaching the Supreme Court to stay these proceedings, with the Supreme Court plea expected to be heard on October 5, 2026.
