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NEW DELHI: Congress person Rahul Gandhi connected Friday erstwhile again targeted the Centre implicit Great Nicobar improvement project, alleging that it prioritises commercialized interests astatine the outgo of the island's ecology and section communities.In a station connected X, the person of absorption successful the Lok Sabha said helium had precocious visited Indira Point, the southernmost extremity of India, wherever helium interacted with tribal communities and settlers surviving connected the island. He claimed that tribal residents were losing their onshore done violations of the Forest Rights Act, portion settlers, including erstwhile soldiers relocated determination by the government, were not receiving just compensation.In the video shared by him, the Congress person tin beryllium seen scuba diving successful the waters disconnected Great Nicobar among coral reefs and interacting with section residents during his sojourn to the island.
Questioning the Centre's justification for the project, Gandhi said the BJP-led authorities was portraying the Great Nicobar Project arsenic a strategical and defence initiative. He argued that if defence was the priority, the authorities should absorption connected expanding INS Baaz, the Indian Navy's aerial presumption successful the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
"Expand INS Baaz - we volition backmost the authorities fully. The Navy has been asking for enlargement for 5 years - it has been ignored," Gandhi said.He besides dismissed the statement that the task was indispensable for a transhipment port, noting that a akin installation was already being developed successful Kerala.Rahul Gandhi further alleged that the task would effect successful the felling of 1.5 crore trees, displacement of tribal communities and subject personnel, and harm to coral reefs.
He further claimed that coral reefs had been removed from authoritative maps and accused the authorities of facilitating commercialized improvement connected ecologically delicate land.He said Great Nicobar could go a planetary exemplary for sustainable tourism and conservation, adding that helium stood for "ecologically balanced development"."I basal for ecologically balanced development. These islands tin beryllium the astir bonzer sustainable destination the satellite has ever seen. That is the India worthy warring for," helium said.
