Sri Vijaya Puram, Mar 12: CPI (M) urged upon the Government of India and A & N Administration to address the concerns expressed by environmentalists from different parts of the country and abroad about the adverse impact of the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Projects on the environment, resentment among the affected people and land owners and also to undertake consultation with the elected representatives of Panchayat-raj institutions and political parties in the islands. In a letter sent to the Lt Governor, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Secretary, CPI (M) Andaman & Nicobar State Organising Committee D. Ayyappan demanded that till such time, the work on the proposed land acquisition, etc may be kept in abeyance.
D. Ayyappan conveyed in the letter the CPI (M)’s strong opposition to the manner in which the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Projects are sought to be implemented in its present form, bypassing the concerns expressed by several environmentalists and experts over the adverse environmental impact on the island and its people including the tribes.
During his recent visit to Great Nicobar Island, Ayyappan observed that a large number of people will be displaced from their villages. People living in two villages (Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar) under the Laxmi Nagar Gram Panchayat will be vacated completely. The traditional habitat of Nicobari tribes will be acquired for the projects. Several lakhs of trees and plants, including those plants which are rare species in the world, will be cut down for the projects.
CPI (M) stated that no consultation was conducted with the elected representatives of Panchayat-raj institutions or political parties in the islands on the proposed GNI Projects which the Government claims will involve 74 thousand crores of rupees. Ayyappan stated in the letter that like any other major policy decisions for these islands, the decision to implement the GNI Projects was taken by the Govt of India unilaterally without any consultation with the islanders. Advisory bodies like Home Minister’s Advisory Committee (HMAC) and Administrator’s Advisory Committee have remained defunct for the last several years. The details of the projects, its completion period, its maintenance, whether the infrastructure created will remain under the government or handed over to corporates as done in other parts of the country, etc are yet to be spelt out by the government.
It is learnt that with the passage of time, the entire Great Nicobar Island will be got vacated for the GNI Projects, Defence requirements, etc. Thousands of people presently living in Great Nicobar Island will be forcibly evicted from their lands.
Drawing the attention of the Lt Governor to the settlement in Great Nicobar, CPI (M) State Secretary said that the land proposed to be acquired by the Administration is that of people settled in the Great Nicobar Island under the colonization scheme from different parts of the mainland India. Farming was the main source of income for these settlers. The entire land is very fertile, and the farmers have raised coconut plantation on it over the years. They are earning lakhs of rupees every year from the coconut and arecanut plantations, and such high-yielding and fertile land is being taken over by the Administration.
Ayyappan informed the Lt Governor that during the public hearing conducted at Great Nicobar Island on 7th March 2026 by the Deputy Commissioner, Nicobars District (Administrator for the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Affected Families), landowners of Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar expressed their resentment over the way their land is sought to be acquired by Administration. The compensation proposed to be paid to the landholders are very meagre and much less than the usual market price of such landed property in the area.
CPI (M) Secretary further informed the Lt Governor that during the aforesaid hearing conducted by the Deputy Commissioner, the landowners were told that each household will get a house site of 50 sq. mtre land to construct their dwelling houses which the affected families summarily rejected on the spot. This is in violation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. No Rehabilitation and Re-settlement Scheme as provided under Section 16 (2) of the said Act has been prepared and publicized by the Deputy Commissioner, Nicobars District (Administrator for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Affected Families) so far.
CPI (M) further stated that as per the notification issued by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in November 2024, the circle rate for the land at Shastri Nagar Village is Rs. 113 per sq.mtr while that of Gandhi Nagar village is Rs.131 per sq.mtr. It was known to everybody that the Great Nicobar Island is identified as the suitable place for the international trans-shipment port due to its location. These villagers were in the hope that with the setting up of the said trans-shipment port or tourism development in Great Nicobar, the value of their land will increase substantially but the Government of India and A & N Administration while deciding the circle rates of land in the entire union territory, fixed a very low circle rate for the above two villages, much lower than the rates of many interior villages in the North and Middle Andaman District. For example, the circle rate for Jagannathdera, an interior village in North Andaman has been fixed as Rs. 263 per sq.mtr. CPI (M) Secretary told the Lt Governor that it is crystal clear that the circle rate has been intentionally lowered by the central government and A&N Administration to deny the financial benefits of adequate compensation to the landholders of the above two villages in Great Nicobar Island.
CPI (M) further stated in the letter that even there is great potential for tourism development in Great Nicobar Island if adequate communication facilities are provided by the Govt of India/A & N Administration.
