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Congress person Jairam Ramesh, who has been raising concerns implicit the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, has written a missive to Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal, seeking clarifications connected the improvement of a transhipment larboard nether the project.
In his missive to the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister, Mr. Ramesh urged him to stock the details of the timeline for the floating of tenders to invitation backstage information for the improvement of the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) astatine Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island, and the last enactment of the backstage co-owner and relation for the venture.
Mr. Ramesh besides asked whether 100% backstage shareholding volition beryllium allowed since the minimum backstage shareholding is acceptable astatine 55%. Or is determination a minimum shareholding by nationalist entities arsenic well, helium questioned further.
"I americium penning to you arsenic 1 among the precise ample fig of radical acrophobic with the ecological devastation that volition beryllium caused by the Great Nicobar Island Project," the erstwhile Environment Minister said.
"You are alert that the PPPAC (Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee) of the Ministry of Finance had met connected March 17, 2026 and March 19, 2026, to see the connection of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for the improvement of an planetary instrumentality transhipment larboard astatine Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island.
"Para 15 vii of the grounds of discussions of this gathering issued connected April 2, 2026, states that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways itself had identified 2 large project-related risks that are: the improvement of a large-scale greenfield larboard project; and the situation of diverting and establishing transhipment postulation from existing well-established ports," Mr. Ramesh said successful his letter.
"I instrumentality it that these competing well-established ports are Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang. It is bonzer that adjacent portion recognising these immense risks, rather isolated from the certainty of ecological devastation that volition beryllium caused by its construction, the transhipment larboard is being pushed through," the Congress wide in-charge communications said.
Mr. Ramesh pointed retired that paragraph 16 iii of the grounds of discussions states that "a minimum of 55% shareholding successful the project's peculiar intent conveyance is to beryllium held by an Indian-owned and Controlled entity" portion Para 16 vii states that "adequate contention whitethorn beryllium ensured portion mounting eligibility criteria for the prospective bidders".
Nicobar triangle: connected the ₹72,000-crore task connected Great Nicobar Island
Is backstage ownership of ports to beryllium diversified, oregon volition the airports-like concern beryllium permitted, wherever lone 1 backstage institution has acquired the six airports sold disconnected truthful far, Mr. Ramesh asked.
Since the PPPAC has turned down the Ministry's petition for a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) grant, volition the Ministry supply VGF/capital assistance enactment from its ain allocated budget, helium further asked.
"Finally, I anticipation you volition beryllium successful a presumption to stock with maine the details of the timeline for (i) the floating of tenders to invitation backstage participation; and (i) the last enactment of the backstage co-owner and operator," Mr. Ramesh said successful his missive to Sonowal dated June 21.
Mr. Ramesh has written aggregate letters to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, raising questions implicit the task and highlighting the "ecological havoc" it would effect in.
On Friday (June 19, 2026), Mr. Ramesh wrote to Environment Minister Yadav implicit the Great Nicobar Island project, flagging the contented of non-transparency and asserting that the biology interaction assessments of antithetic aspects of the task are "demonstrably inadequate". Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Yadav person exchanged aggregate letters implicit the past mates of years.
The Congress leader, successful his letters to Mr. Yadav, has highlighted the demonstrably "dubious nature" of the biology interaction appraisal of the task successful its totality.
The Congress has attacked the authorities implicit the project, saying the transhipment larboard connected Galathea Bay is simply a look for ecological havoc and would pb to large-scale demolition of coral colonies.
Mr. Ramesh has besides written 2 letters to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh implicit the task and urged him to reconsider the rejection of the afloat enlargement of the INS Baaz runway.
The Congress person has besides written 2 letters to Tribal Affairs Minister Oram, urging him to guarantee that the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, are some seen to beryllium implemented and are really implemented successful missive and spirit.
The ICTP, which the authorities is readying to build, volition person a civilian-cum-naval airport, a township and a powerfulness works nether the GNI project.
Congress person Rahul Gandhi has said the government's statement that the task is astir defence and a transhipment larboard is simply a "lie", and alleged that it is really astir benefiting 1 businessman truthful that helium tin physique hotels and casinos connected India's astir irreplaceable ecological land.
Mr. Gandhi had besides released an implicit 16-minute video earlier this period based connected his sojourn to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands successful precocious April and urged radical to motion a petition to archer the authorities "we take greenish implicit greed".
