New Delhi: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has renewed his party’s opposition to the Centre’s proposed Great Nicobar project in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, calling it the “biggest scam” in the country.
The ₹81,000-crore plan envisages an international container transshipment terminal, a greenfield airport for passenger and military use, a power generation facility and a new township. The government has projected the project as a way to strengthen India’s presence in the Indian Ocean region and reduce dependence on foreign transshipment hubs, given the island’s proximity to key shipping routes such as the Malacca Strait.
During a visit to the islands, Gandhi said he saw exceptionally old and rare trees and described the forests as spanning generations. He alleged that the rights of local residents, including tribal communities and settlers, were being taken away.
He claimed that large-scale tree felling was being planned and that about 160 sq km of rainforest was being pushed towards destruction. Calling it a “disaster in the name of development”, he urged that the work be stopped immediately and said wider public attention to the situation was necessary to prevent it.
