Settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Islands 'false', says tribal body

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Tribal Council of Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar has written a letter to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram demanding the withdrawal of a certificate that proves the settlement of all forest rights on Great Nicobar Island.

This Recognition of Forest Rights (RoFR) certificate, issued on August 18, 2022, by the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Nicobar district, paved the way for clearances from the Environment Ministry for the Great Nicobar project.

The Rs 81,000-crore mega infrastructure project, spread over 166 sq km, comprises the construction of a transhipment port, an integrated township, a civil and military airport, and a 450-MVA gas- and solar-power-based plant.

“We will feel protected when the rights vested in

us under the Forest Rights Act would be recognised and the false RoFR certificate issued for diversion of 130.65 sq km of our forest by DC, Nicobar will be withdrawn,” said the letter written on June 30.

It was written in response to a statement made by Oram, who said that “it is important to recognise that development and tribal protection are not mutually exclusive”.

Under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, its rules and according to a 2009 order of the environment minister, diversion of forest land for a project must be preceded by the settling of forest rights claims.

The council — a key representative of the Nicobarese people on the islands — had also written to the tribal affairs minister in July last year regarding the issue, claiming that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ administration made a false representation to the Centre about the RoFR certificate.

It alleged that the settlement process of forest rights under the FRA had not even started.

In May this year, the Calcutta High Court agreed to hear a public interest litigation by former Union government secretary Meena Gupta which made similar allegations about the settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island.

The council’s latest letter made several other demands, including the need for critical infrastructure.

“The tsunami shelters in Rajiv Nagar tribal colony where we are currently living were constructed more than twenty years ago and they are in dire need of repair,” said the letter.

It added, “When we ask the local administration to repair the shelters, we are told there is no budget while the same officers assure us that we will get anything we want once we surrender our land for the Great Nicobar project.” PTI ALC ALC KSS KSS