Parliamentary Panel Head Raises Ecology Concerns Over Great Nicobar Project; BJP Members Push for Agenda Compliance

The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Congress leader K C Venugopal, on Wednesday discussed the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, with Venugopal and several Opposition members raising concerns about its ecological impact on the islands.

According to sources, Venugopal directed Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to submit a reply on issues related to the project at the committee's next meeting. The committee's scheduled agenda for Wednesday was to examine audit paragraphs from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) concerning the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences and the Chandigarh Welfare Board. However, the panel took up the GNI project suo motu, a move that drew criticism from the Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Venugopal questioned the absence of the Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary at the meeting and sought an explanation from the Home Secretary. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Venugopal said the officer had informed the committee on Tuesday night that he would not attend. “He asked for permission… I did not grant it,” Venugopal said. He added, “The Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary was not present, and the committee took serious note. The committee has asked the Union Home Secretary to explain why he was absent.”

It is learnt that BJP members on the panel demanded that the discussion stay within the agenda, but Venugopal argued that the GNI project was a matter of public importance and could be discussed spontaneously. Opposition members posed several questions to the Home Secretary. When he indicated unpreparedness, Venugopal directed him to brief the committee at its next meeting.

The GNI project, spanning 166 sq km, includes a transhipment container port, an international military-civilian airport, power infrastructure, and a greenfield coastal city. It involves clearing 13,000 hectares of forest. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has alleged the project is “one of the biggest scams against India’s natural and tribal heritage.”