Great Nicobar Island Project (GNIP) ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has requested a detailed report from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration regarding a complaint. The complaint alleges that forest rights were not resolved in accordance with the Forest Rights Act, 2006 prior to the diversion of forest land for the GNIP project.

Key Points of Contention

Tribal Councils in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are statutory entities formed under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Tribal Councils) Regulation, 2009. They possess limited advisory and executive powers, in contrast to the more autonomous councils governed by the Sixth Schedule. The administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has argued that there is no necessity to implement the Forest Rights Act (FRA), claiming that tribes are already safeguarded under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act, 1956 (PAT,56). The PAT,56 grants the local administration unilateral power to divert forest land, while the FRA requires that consent be obtained from Gram Sabhas.

Key Points of Contention

• Genesis: A significant Greenfield infrastructure project initiated by NITI Aayog and sanctioned by the Union Cabinet in 2021.
 • Nodal Agency: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), established in 1988 under the Companies Act 1956.
 • Project Components:
    o International Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay
    o A Greenfield international airport
    o A 450 MW power plant
    o A modern township