Proposed infra project in Great Nicobar poses grave threat to tribals, should be reviewed: Cong
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday demanded a thorough review of a proposed "mega infrastructure project" in Great Nicobar initiated at the "instance" of the Niti Aayog, claiming that it poses a grave threat to the island's tribal communities.
Raising red flags over the proposed project, Congress general secretary and former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said all clearances given to the Rs 72,000-crore project should be suspended immediately and an impartial review of it conducted, including by the parliamentary committees concerned.
"The Union government's proposed Rs 72,000-crore 'Mega Infra Project' in Great Nicobar Island is a grave threat to Great Nicobar Island's tribal communities and natural ecosystem. The project, initiated in March 2021 at the instance of the NITI Aayog, shows numerous red flags," Ramesh said in a statement, which he also posted on X.
"The Congress demands an immediate suspension of all clearances and conduct of a thorough impartial review of the proposed project, including by the parliamentary committees concerned," he said.
He claimed that the environment, forests and climate change ministry has given an "in-principle" clearance for diverting 13,075 hectares of forest land.
"This area is about 15 per cent of the island's land mass and constitutes one of the country's largest forest diversions in a nationally and globally unique rainforest ecosystem," the Congress leader said.
Compensatory afforestation for the loss of this unique rainforest ecosystem has been planned in the state of Haryana, thousands of kilometres away and in a vastly different ecological zone, Ramesh claimed.
"The coastline where the port and the project is proposed to come up is an earthquake prone zone, and saw a permanent subsidence of about 15 feet during the tsunami of December 2004. Locating such a massive project here puts investment, infrastructure, people, and the ecology in harm's way," he said in the statement.
"The project poses a direct threat to the wellbeing and survival of the Shompen, an indigenous community classified as a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG). Thirty-nine experts from across the world have warned the administration that the project poses the threat of genocide to the Shompen," Ramesh said.
"The administration has compromised on due process in its rush to get approval -- The administration did not adequately consult the Tribal Council of the Islands, as is legally required. The Tribal Council of Great Nicobar Island has in fact expressed objections to the project, claiming that authorities had earlier 'rushed them' into signing a 'No Objection' letter based on misleading information -- and that the No Objection letter has since been revoked," he claimed.
The administration has "ignored" the island's Shompen Policy, notified by the Union tribal affairs ministry, which requires authorities to prioritise the tribe's welfare when considering "large scale development proposals", the Congress leader said.
He also claimed that the administration appears to have skipped the legally mandated consultation with the Scheduled Tribes Commission, required by Article 338 (9) of the Constitution.
"The 'social impact assessment' conducted as part of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR) ignored the existence of the Shompen and the Nicobarese," Ramesh said.
"Parts of the project site come under CRZ 1A (areas with turtle nesting sites, mangroves, coral reefs), which has been noted in an NGT (National Green Tribunal) order in response to petitions challenging the clearances. Allowing port construction here is clearly violative of the said provisions," he claimed in the statement.
The former union minister alleged that the project violates the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which holds the Shompen as the sole legally empowered authority to protect, preserve, regulate and manage the tribal reserve.
"In view of these numerous violations of due process, legal and Constitutional provisions protecting tribal communities, and the project's disproportionate ecological and human cost, the Congress demands an immediate suspension of all clearances and conduct of a thorough impartial review of the proposed project, including by the parliamentary committees concerned," he said.
Our statement on the Mega Infra Project on Great Nicobar Island. @INCIndia demands an immediate suspension of all clearances and conduct of a thorough impartial review of the proposed project, including by the Parliamentary committees concerned. pic.twitter.com/BAC1EWMNKs
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 17, 2024
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25 lakh properties in Bengaluru brought under e-Khata system: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has brought over 25 lakh properties under the e-Khata system in Bengaluru.
e-Khata is an electronic property certificate that maintains ownership information in an online database.
The e-Khata initiative aimed to ensure accuracy, transparency and universal coverage for property owners, he said.
Addressing a press conference here, Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru in-charge Minister, said over 25 lakh properties are being brought under the e-Khata system. Of them more than 7,000 applications have been processed, and additional outreach measures being planned for those yet to obtain their e-Khata.
"Twenty five lakh e-Khatas is a great number which has created history," he said.
The Deputy CM said the government is ensuring that every e-Khata will have its GPS, the shape of the property, and the measurement with every photo and document.
He explained that the government is integrating Aadhaar details, digital documentation, GPS mapping and property sketches to create a robust database.
"We want to see that every record is filled right. They (officials) are asking for documentation, stamp, digital documents. We wanted to connect every Aadhaar card and have it online," Shivakumar said.
To facilitate access, the Deputy CM announced the opening of more than 50 centres across Bengaluru, many of them in government schools, where citizens can apply for or rectify their e-Khata records.
"All of them will be working this Saturday. This 'Khata Mela' will be done. It is 'Nanna Khata, Nanna Swathu'," he said.
Applicants whose documents require verification will be given an acknowledgement and asked to return after 15 days, during which officials will conduct site inspections, he said.
Shivakumar said the government has also taken steps to identify and reclaim properties recorded as roads in revenue documents, asserting that such lands belong to the government.
"We have decided through the law that all the roads in the revenue records have been taken out. Those properties belong to the government itself," he said.
He noted that the initiative has received recognition from the Union government. "The Government of India has awarded us. It said that it is the model for the entire country," he said, while thanking officials involved in the project.
The Deputy CM said the government expects around 10 lakh additional households to benefit from the drive and assured that even those who have not downloaded their documents will receive printed copies free of cost at their residences.
"We will see that all the 25 lakh people will get their e-Khata to their home free of cost," Shivakumar said.
On apartment properties, he said all flats that have obtained occupancy certificates have been cleared.
"All the 37,460 flats (who have applied for e-Khata) have been issued an occupancy certificate. We have cleared all of them," the Deputy CM said.
