Jairam Ramesh has been leading the opposition against the Great Nicobar project (File photo),
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh sustained the party’s opposition to the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project in its present form and wrote to Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh Sunday, urging him to consider expanding existing defence assets on the island as alternatives.
In his letter, Ramesh challenged the government’s justification of the project as one with “overriding security considerations”, when it was essentially a “commercial venture”. While acknowledging that there could be “no two opinions” on the need to strengthen the nation’s defences and the need to project India’s strategic capabilities credibly, he argued that the GNI project is a recipe for ecological disaster in the current shape.
Listing out the existing defence assets ranging from the Andaman and Nicobar Command to INS Baaz in Campbell Bay, INS Kardip, INS Kohassa, INS Utkrosh, INS Jarawa and the Car Nicobar Air Force Station, Ramesh sought to make a case for expanding these assets.
“INS Baaz located in Campbell Bay on the Great Nicobar Island was commissioned in July 2012. But plans for at least trebling the length of the existing runway and making a naval jetty have been awaiting approval for almost five years. These plans have far less adverse environmental impacts as well,” he said.
He added, “Second, there are also assets of the Andaman and Nicobar Command created many years ago that could be expanded with far less environmental costs. These include INS Kardip, INS Kohassa, INS Utkrosh, INS Jarawa & the Car Nicobar Air Force Station.”
Ramesh urged the defence minister to “seriously consider the above alternatives” which, he added, were proposed by distinguished naval officers themselves in their writings.
About the transshipment port, which is touted as the centrepiece of the mega infrastructure, Ramesh said it would not enhance the country’s military capability in any way. As part of the Rs 81,000 crore (GNI project the government has proposed to build an integrated township, a transshipment container port, solar and gas-based power plant, and a greenfield military and civilian use airport.
Sunday’s letter to Rajnath Singh marks the third in a series that the Congress general secretary in charge of communications has written to senior Union ministers in recent weeks. On May 10, he wrote to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, challenging what he described as false claims in a government FAQ document released on GNI project on May 1. Three days later, on May 13, he wrote to the Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, alleging ‘flagrant violations’ of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
