Great Nicobar ProjectCalcutta High CourtForest Rights ActUnion GovernmentJudicial Review
Calcutta High Court to Hear Great Nicobar Project Pleas in June, Rejects Centre's Objections
Published: May 8, 2026
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The Calcutta High Court will hear petitions challenging the Union government's approval of the ₹92,000 crore Great Nicobar Island development project on June 23, after rejecting preliminary objections from the Centre. A bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen ruled that retired IAS officer Meena Gupta has sufficient interest to challenge the project's compliance with the Forest Rights Act, dismissing claims that she lacked locus standi.
The petitions contest the validity of Gram Sabha resolutions authorising forest land diversion, the constitution of sub-divisional committees under the FRA, and the reduction of buffer zones around Campbell Bay and Galathea Bay National Parks. The court rejected the Centre's argument that the project's national importance places it beyond judicial review, stating that large-scale projects must still comply with existing laws.
The Centre had also invoked res judicata, citing a National Green Tribunal ruling, and argued the petitions were improperly split. The court found the issues before it were distinct from those considered by the NGT. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration submitted attendance records showing quorum deficiencies in Gram Sabha meetings, while the petitioner argued that the Nicobarese and Shompen tribals were not properly consulted through their representative bodies.
The Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar withdrew consent for the project in 2022, citing unresolved forest rights and administrative pressure. The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has since sought to be removed as a respondent in the case. The court will resume hearing on June 23.