House panel chief flags Great Nicobar project issues; BJP members say stick to the agenda
The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, spread over 166 sq km and featuring a transhipment container port, an international military-civilian-use airport, power infrastructure and a greenfield coastal city, involves the felling of 13,000 hectares of forests.
Congress leader K C Venugopal and several Opposition members raised concerns over the project’s impact on the ecology of the islands.
THE PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday discussed the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, with chairperson and Congress leader K C Venugopal and several Opposition members raising concerns over the project’s impact on the ecology of the islands. Venugopal is learnt to have directed Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to submit a reply on the issues linked to the project during the committee’s next meeting.
The committee’s agenda for Wednesday’s meeting was to discuss the CAG audit paras pertaining to Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences and the Chandigarh Welfare Board. It took suo motu cognisance of the GNI project, which has been criticised by the Congress and the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.
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Venugopal raised questions on the absence of the Andaman and Nicobar chief secretary at the meet and sought an explanation from the Home Secretary.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Venugopal said the officer, who was summoned by the committee, had on Tuesday night informed that he would not be present at the meeting. “He asked for permission… I did not grant it,” he said.
“The Andaman and Nicobar chief secretary was not present at the meeting and the committee took a serious note of that. The committee has asked the Union Home Secretary to give an explanation on why he was not present at today’s meeting,” said Venugopal.
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It is learnt the BJP members on the panel demanded that the discussion be held as per the agenda of the meeting, but Venugopal said since the GNI project was a matter of public importance, it could be discussed impromptu.
The Opposition members on the panel posed a set of questions to the Union Home Secretary. When he said he was not prepared to answer questions related to the project, Venugopal told him he should brief the committee on the issue during the next meeting.
The GNI project, spread over 166 sq km and featuring a transhipment container port, an international military-civilian-use airport, power infrastructure and a greenfield coastal city, involves the felling of 13,000 hectares of forests.
LoP Gandhi has alleged that the project is “one of the biggest scams” against India’s natural and tribal heritage.
Congress leader K C Venugopal and several Opposition members raised concerns over the project’s impact on the ecology of the islands. 
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