Govt seeks ‘factual report’ on forest rights complaint on Nicobar project

INFRASTRUCTURE

10 SEPTEMBER 2025

• The Union government has sought a “factual report” from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration on points raised in a complaint by the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar that forest rights had not been settled before diverting around 13,000 hectares for the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project in August 2022.
• A complaint to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram pointed out that the administration had made a “false” representation to the Centre on August 18, 2022 certifying that all rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 had been identified and settled.
• The council said its consent had been “obtained under pressure” and withdrawn formally soon after in a letter to the government.
• According to the progress reports, the administration has maintained that it does not need to implement the FRA, arguing that tribespeople’s rights were already protected on the islands under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act, 1956 which enables the administration to unilaterally divert forest land.