Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 30 June 2024
Government of India has unveiled ambitious plans to transform Great Nicobar Island with a series of mega projects. Recently, the island’s strategic importance has garnered significant media attention, highlighting the potential benefits these developments could bring not only to Great Nicobar but also to the entire Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the nation.
While it has faced criticism, proponents argue that it will usher in prosperity and development. The comprehensive development plan includes a Transshipment Port, a Green Field International Airport, a Power Plant to support infrastructure, a Township to accommodate the population influx, and various allied infrastructures. However, these projects require significant land procurement.
The land needed for the Green Field International Airport is proposed to be acquired from Ex-Servicemen Settlers in the revenue villages of Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar. On June 28, 2024, two Public Hearings were held in these villages as part of the Social Impact Assessment Report preparation, mandated by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Officials from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited, the Directorate of Social Welfare of Andaman and Nicobar Administration, the Delhi-based firm M/s Probe Social Development & Research Pvt. Ltd., and the local administration were present at the meetings.
During the hearings, Ex-Servicemen Settler Family Members and other residents expressed their support for the land procurement. However, they placed several demands before the government, insisting these be met:
1. Substantial compensation for the procured land.
2. Provision of alternative land in Great Nicobar for all affected ex-servicemen settlers.
3. Fair compensation for each coconut tree, highlighting its economic importance.
4. House sites for every family in Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar, along with financial support for construction.
5. OBC status for ex-servicemen settlers of Great Nicobar, as granted to their counterparts from other islands.
6. Employment for one member of every ex-servicemen family in the affected villages.
The Ex-Servicemen Settler Family Members and other residents also demanded that the land taken away post tsunami, unfairly, in lieu of compensation must be returned to the individuals and be considered while calculating the compensation for the land acquisition for Green Field International Airport.
Amid nationwide objections to the mega projects, many from outside the region, including self-proclaimed environmentalists, have launched campaigns against the development. Critics argue these objections often stem from individuals unfamiliar with Great Nicobar’s geography and local context.
The recent meetings underscored the local ex-servicemen settlers’ overwhelming support for the project. They view the developments as a pathway to progress, dismissing the opposition from external voices as irrelevant to their reality on the ground.