The Congress on Wednesday criticised the Centre’s decision to approach the Supreme Court seeking a pause in proceedings before the Calcutta High Court over petitions challenging the Great Nicobar Island Project. The proposed project, estimated at Rs 92,000 crore, has faced legal and political opposition over concerns related to environmental clearances, forest rights and its potential impact on local tribal communities. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh described the Centre’s latest move as an “astonishing U-turn” and questioned its decision to seek intervention from the Supreme Court while the matter remains pending before the High Court.

The petitions before the Calcutta High Court include challenges alleging violations of provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, during the process of obtaining consent and approvals for the project. Ramesh said five petitions filed by citizens and civil society groups were pending before the High Court and referred to them as an important avenue for judicial scrutiny of the project. He said the Supreme Court matter was likely to come up on October 5, 2026, while the final hearing in one of the petitions before the Calcutta High Court has been scheduled for November 25 and 26.

Ramesh alleged that the Centre had earlier agreed to the High Court hearing schedule but was now seeking to halt the proceedings through the Supreme Court. He also claimed that the government had previously questioned the right of one petitioner, a former senior official of the Union ministries dealing with environment, forests and tribal affairs, to challenge the project. According to Ramesh, the Calcutta High Court rejected that argument and upheld the petitioner’s right to bring the challenge. The Congress leader said the Centre was now raising the same issue before the Supreme Court.

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The Congress has repeatedly raised concerns about the environmental implications of the Great Nicobar project, which is intended to transform the island into a strategic maritime and economic hub. The party has particularly focused on the proposed transhipment port at Galathea Bay and its potential impact on the island’s ecological systems, including coral colonies. Ramesh has described the project as a major environmental concern and has also questioned the process through which various environmental and forest-related approvals were granted. These concerns form part of the broader legal challenges currently pending before the High Court.

Ramesh also referred to his interactions with four Union ministers while discussing the issues surrounding the project. He has previously urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider the rejection of a full expansion of the INS Baaz runway and asked Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to ensure that the Forest Rights Act is implemented in connection with the project. The Congress has maintained that development activities in the Great Nicobar region should take into account environmental safeguards and the rights of tribal communities affected by the proposed infrastructure.

The Centre’s decision to seek the Supreme Court’s intervention now places the legal proceedings over the project before two levels of the judiciary, with the Supreme Court expected to consider the government’s request and the Calcutta High Court proceedings continuing to be listed. The precise grounds on which the Centre has approached the Supreme Court, as well as the court’s eventual decision, will determine whether the High Court hearings proceed according to the existing schedule. For now, the project remains subject to ongoing legal challenges, while the Congress continues to oppose aspects of the proposal and raise concerns over environmental and forest-rights issues.

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