Sri Vijaya Puram, July 7: The Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, has sought the urgent intervention of the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji in the land acquisition proceedings for the proposed Greenfield International Airport at Great Nicobar Island.
The MP has stated that the airport project is of national strategic importance and must succeed. However, he has stressed that the acquisition must be done strictly as per law, in a fair and transparent manner, so that the project is not weakened by avoidable legal defects.
The MP had earlier, through his letter dated 01.12.2025, forwarded to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Home Minister the objections dated 25.11.2025 submitted by PRI members and affected persons of Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar against the preliminary notification dated 06.11.2025 under the RFCTLARR Act, 2013. The affected persons had raised several important concerns, including:
1. Many families are ex-servicemen settler families brought by the Government itself under the 1969 settlement programme.
2. Several families have already faced displacement after the 2004 Tsunami, and the present acquisition may result in a third displacement.
2. The SIA Report allegedly does not fully reflect ground realities, including plantation-based livelihood, community assets, religious places, burial grounds, schools, anganwadis and the near disappearance of settled villages.
3. The affected persons have sought proper land valuation, including consideration of the earlier Tsunami compensation benchmark.
4. They have demanded fair compensation for coconut, arecanut and other plantation trees on livelihood/lifetime-income basis, not token valuation.
5. They have sought land-for-land, house-for-house, livelihood protection, employment support, and rehabilitation within Great Nicobar to the maximum possible extent.
6. They have requested proper personal hearing under Section 15, speaking decision on objections, and no Section 19 declaration until objections are decided.
The MP has pointed out that these objections fall within Section 15 of the RFCTLARR Act. Section 15 deals with the basic question of whether the land should be acquired in the proposed manner, for the stated purpose, and on the basis of the SIA findings. The R&R process under Section 16 deals with rehabilitation if acquisition proceeds. Therefore, considering R&R issues alone cannot replace mandatory Section 15 compliance.
Shri Ray has also flagged discrepancies in the records. The SIA Report mentions about 263 affected families, the R&R Report mentions 572 affected families and 344 displaced families, while the list supplied appears to show 582 affected families and 344 displaced families. He has asked for proper reconciliation before further action.
The MP has referred to the Supreme Court judgment in Dinesh & Others v. State of Madhya Pradesh, where the Court held that non-compliance with Section 15 can vitiate acquisition proceedings, even if later stages have been completed.
Shri Ray has requested the Union Home Minister to direct the A&N Administration to complete the Section 15 process, hear the affected persons, pass proper orders, reconcile the records, and ensure that no irreversible step is taken without statutory compliance.
The MP’s stand is clear: The Great Nicobar project must move forward, but it must move forward lawfully, fairly and in a manner that protects both national interest and the rights of affected families.