Tribals' concerns on Great Nicobar project under examination: Minister
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Monday said that concerns raised by the tribal communities from the Great Nicobar island regarding the Great Nicobar Infrastructure project are 'under examination'.
Oram and MoS for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, were speaking at Oram's residence while addressing the media on the initiatives and achievements of the ministry in the last 11 years of the NDA government.
Oram was asked during the media interaction whether his ministry has examined complaints regarding alleged violations of Forest Rights Act in the archipelago during implementation of the project in Nicobar, Oram said, 'It is under examination'. 'In Parliament too this question was raised in Rajya Sabha, I had answered it. We are examining documents submitted,' Oram said but did not offer more details.
'In a tribal or Schedule area we have to check whether a Gram Sabha was held, what were its decisions and recommendations and whether they were violated. While we look at the conduct of a Gram Sabha, the environmental impact assessment is looked at by another ministry,' he said.
The Parliament question Oram was referring to was asked by TMC MP Saket Gokhale in March. Gokhale had sought to know what action the Ministry had taken on a letter of the tribal council of the Great Nicobar Island withdrawing its no-objection certificate (NOC) to the denotification of a tribal reserve for the mega infrastructure project.
The tribal council had in November 2022 revoked its no-objection certificate to the denotification of 84.1 sq km of tribal reserve and diversion of 130.75 sq km of forests, alleging that it was done without consent of indigenous inhabitants of the island and by concealing information.
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