The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration did not achieve the legally required 50% quorum at three Gram Sabha meetings held on August 12, 2022, to obtain consent for the Centre’s ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project, according to submissions made before the Calcutta High Court. Despite attendance ranging from 1.83% to 14.72% of the adult population across Campbell Bay, Laxmi Nagar, and Govind Nagar Gram Panchayats, the administration claimed a 'proper quorum' had been met, with 349 people approving the project for seven villages totaling 7,519 residents as per the 2011 Census.

Under rules for implementing the Forest Rights Act (FRA), a quorum requires at least half the adult population to be present, including one-third women. The administration defended the meetings in a supplementary affidavit, stating they were held with 'prior notice and proper quorum' and that the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC) validated the resolutions. It argued that no minimum notice period is specified under the FRA and that tribal representation was adequate through the SDLC, rejecting claims of exclusion.

Petitioners challenged both the quorum and the legitimacy of the SDLC, asserting that the Nicobarese and Shompen tribes, not covered under Gram Sabhas, should have been consulted via the Tribal Council. They also flagged duplicate names across attendance records. The Centre has sought time to prove tribal consent, while the Additional Solicitor General questioned the locus standi of the petitioner, a former Union Secretary, and cited pending proceedings at the National Green Tribunal.

The Calcutta High Court, hearing a batch of petitions over alleged FRA violations, has recorded the submissions and heard arguments on preliminary objections regarding locus standi and maintainability of the PIL. Chief Justice Sujoy Paul stated that an order on these issues would be uploaded shortly.