After Rahul Gandhi’s attack, government defends Great Nicobar project

NEW DELHI: Government connected Friday released a elaborate clarification connected the Great Nicobar Project, calling it a strategical inaugural to fortify India’s beingness successful the Andaman Sea.

It said the task sought to “balance port-led maturation with calibrated biology safeguards” portion keeping extortion of indigenous communities astatine the halfway of its wide planning.The clarification, successful the signifier of an FAQ, came aft person of the absorption successful Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi connected Wednesday slammed the Rs 81,000 crore initiative, describing it arsenic a superior menace to some the situation and indigenous communities.Govt said the task was of “strategic, defence, and nationalist importance, undertaken aft owed diligence and cautious consideration”.“The task volition substantially fortify India’s beingness successful the Andaman Sea and Southeast Asia, heighten maritime and defence capabilities, and integrate the land with planetary commercialized and logistics networks. It volition besides found a large planetary transshipment terminal,” it said.

Govt said the imaginable ecological impacts of the task had been comprehensively identified and assessed, and were being managed done a robust biology interaction appraisal process.On protecting tribal communities, govt said, “All statutory procedures and argumentation safeguards... person been duly complied with... Necessary consultations were undertaken with competent authorities and domain experts... successful enactment with the Jarawa Policy, 2004 and Shompen Policy, 2015. The Empowered Committee... has categorically ensured that the interests of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups... volition not beryllium adversely affected.

”Govt added, “The task has besides secured a nary objection certificate from the ministry of tribal affairs, with owed adherence to the Forest Rights Act, 2006.”