Congress welcomes SC decision allowing Great Nicobar PILs to proceed in HC
The Congress on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to reject the Centre's challenge to a Calcutta High Court order upholding the maintainability of PILs alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act in obtaining consent for the Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Supreme Court's decision meant the matter would now proceed before the high court as scheduled.
"This is to be welcomed. Now the matter will be taken up as originally scheduled in the Calcutta High Court on November 25-26. The flame of hope for ecological wisdom still flickers," Ramesh, a former environment minister, said in a post on X.
The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana dismissed the Centre's plea, noting that the matter was already pending before the Calcutta High Court.
The bench directed the high court to hear the case, along with all pending petitions, on November 25 and 26 as scheduled.
The PILs allege violations of the Forest Rights Act in the process of obtaining consent for the proposed Great Nicobar project.
The Congress has repeatedly opposed the project, alleging that its implementation could cause significant ecological damage.
Last week, the party criticised the Centre for what it called an "astonishing U-turn" in approaching the Supreme Court seeking a stay on proceedings before the Calcutta High Court in petitions challenging the project.
The Congress had alleged that the government was proceeding with what it described as an "ecological disaster".
The party has particularly raised concerns over the proposed transhipment port at Galathea Bay, arguing that the project could cause large-scale environmental damage, including destruction of coral colonies.
Ramesh has also urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider the rejection of a full expansion of the INS Baaz runway.
He has separately asked Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to ensure that the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 are implemented "in letter and spirit".
