The Union government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on proceedings in the Calcutta High Court against the Rs 92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island Project, according to a report cited by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. The move comes before the high court is scheduled to hear petitions alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, in obtaining consent for the project.
Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications and a former environment minister, said the Supreme Court plea could be heard on October 5, 2026. He alleged that the government had earlier agreed to the Calcutta High Court’s final hearing, scheduled for November 25 and 26, 2026, but was now seeking to halt the proceedings.
The Calcutta High Court case involves five petitions filed by citizens and civil society groups against aspects of the project. According to Ramesh, one petition raises alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act affecting local tribal communities. He also said the high court had upheld the right of a petitioner, described as a former senior official of the Union environment and tribal affairs ministries, to challenge the project.
The government’s reported move to the Supreme Court is the latest legal development surrounding a project that combines strategic, transport and economic objectives with major environmental and social concerns. The proposal includes a transhipment port at Galathea Bay, along with other planned infrastructure on Great Nicobar Island. The project cost, Ramesh said, has risen to Rs 92,000 crore from an earlier estimate of Rs 72,000 crore.
The Congress has repeatedly opposed the project, alleging that its environmental and forest approvals were flawed and that the impact assessment reports were unreliable. Ramesh described the proposed development as an ecological disaster and said the port could damage coral colonies. These are political allegations and have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
Ramesh also said he had been engaging with four Union ministers over the project. He urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider the rejection of a full expansion of the runway at INS Baaz, and asked Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to ensure that the Forest Rights Act is implemented in full.
The dispute highlights the institutional tension created when large strategic infrastructure projects overlap with environmental regulation and the rights of indigenous communities. The legal question before the courts is not only whether the project can proceed, but also whether statutory consent and consultation requirements were followed before approvals were granted.
The Supreme Court’s expected hearing on October 5 will determine whether the Calcutta High Court proceedings can continue. The high court’s final hearing on the petitions is listed for November 25 and 26, subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court plea.
