The Minister of the Union’s Bhupender Yadav on Thursday (September 18, 2025) at the Congress intervened against the Great Nicobar Infrastructure project and accused him of spreading confusion and devoting “negative policy”.
Mr. Yadav claimed at an event organized by the Indian Public Affairs Forum that the Mega project is essential for national security and strategic connectivity in the Indian Ocean area.
Also read | Production of ecological disaster in Nicobar
Mr. Yadav said that only 1.78% of the Velká Nicobar forest area will be used for the project.
“Does the country nor the right to use this large ground for its safety, transport capacity and modern technology? Amplifying every institution, increasing doubts about every development effort and writing columns in terms of national security, there is nothing but negative policy,” he said.
The Minister argued that politicians for indigenous tribes were fully respected and carried out.
“For the indigenous tribes that live there, politicians have been created and fully implemented. We are determined to protect the ecology of the nation.
He added that ecology and economy should proceed together.
“Politics should be for building a nation, not to spread misinformation. Unfortunately, some people indulge in politics of spreading confusion,” he said.
Mr. Yadava’s notes came to the chairman of the Sonia Gandhi parliamentary party, in the Hindu article, identified the 72,000 Crore project as “planned incorrect measures” that threatens the survival of Shompen and Nicobarese strains.
Mrs. Gandhi claimed that the project was pushed through “mockery of all legal and deliberative processes”.
“The ancestors of the Nicobarens tribes fall into the proposed area of the proposed project. Nicobese were forced to evacuate their villages during the 2004 tsunami. This project will now permanently push this community and end their dream of returning to their ancestors,” Gandhi said.
She also claimed that Shompen was facing an even greater threat, as the project refers to a significant part of its reserve and will bring a large influx of people and tourists to the island.
In response, Mr. Yadav recently wrote a column defending the project as a strategic, defense and national importance.
He said the plan was designed to turn Great Nicobar to the main center of the naval and air connectivity in the Indian Ocean area, with an international container translated terminal, Greenfield International Airport, power plant and solar power plant 450 MVA and Černoská neighborhood over 16 km2.
The Minister stressed that a detailed assessment of environmental impacts, nature conservation plans, disasters’ management strategy, and provisions on compensatory afforestation were introduced to minimize ecological impact.
He also argued that the development of less than two percent of the total forest coverage of the island cannot be compared to the threats of the displayed congress.
“Even today, 90% of the island remains under the forest cover. Compensation afforestation must be done somewhere, and if it has been done (in Haryana), it also contributes to cleaning air in Delhi. Said at Thursday’s event.
Mr. Yadav reiterated that the project is necessary for national security, and at the same time refused to criticize Congress as politically motivated.
“The big project Nicobar is carried out with a sense of responsibility and in full adherence to ecological and tribal policies. Increasing doubts belongs to people. This is not a healthy policy,” he said.
Published – September 19, 2025 10:24
