Calcutta HC to Hear Pleas Against Great Nicobar Project in June

The Calcutta High Court has overruled the Union government's preliminary objections to a batch of petitions alleging that it violated the Forest Rights Act while obtaining consent for its ₹92,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project. The court directed the case to be listed for final hearing on June 23.

The petitions, filed by retired IAS officer Meena Gupta, challenge the Gram Sabha resolutions consenting to the diversion of forest land for the mega-infrastructure project under the 2006 Forest Rights Act.

The Centre had argued that the project was of great national importance and that such a project cannot be called in question in a public interest litigation. However, the court ruled that a project involving huge expenditure must proceed in accordance with governing laws and is not beyond the scope of judicial review.

The court will resume hearing the case on June 23, with the petitioner arguing that the consent of the Nicobarese and Shompen tribals cannot have been sought from the Gram Sabhas, which represent the interests of settler communities on Great Nicobar Island.