Public Accounts Committee asks Home Ministry for report on Great Nicobar Project
The PAC was meeting to deliberate the CAG’s report on the ‘establishment and functioning of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences’
360° Perspective Analysis
Deep-dive into Geography, Polity, Economy, History, Environment & Social dimensions — AI-powered, on-demand
Context
The Chairperson of the (PAC) has requested a comprehensive report from the (MHA) regarding the controversial . This request, made during a meeting to discuss a (CAG) report on a medical institute in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, highlights ongoing concerns about the project's massive environmental impact, including the planned felling of millions of trees in a fragile ecosystem.
UPSC Perspectives
Polity & Governance
This development illustrates the crucial role of Parliamentary Committees in ensuring executive accountability. The , formed annually with 22 members (15 from , 7 from ), is a cornerstone of legislative oversight. Its primary function is to examine the audit reports of the (CAG) to verify that government expenditure is legal, authorized, and economically sound. While the primary agenda was the CAG report on the medical institute (which itself revealed significant governance failures like a 40% equipment shortfall and inter-ministerial blame-shifting between the MHA and the ), the chairperson used his prerogative to seek information on the . This highlights how committees can act proactively, demanding transparency on significant projects even if they fall outside the immediate scope of an audit report. For UPSC Mains (GS Paper 2), this is an excellent example of parliamentary oversight mechanisms in action and the ongoing tension between the executive's developmental agenda and the legislature's demand for accountability.
Environment & Ecology
The is a flashpoint in the classic 'development vs. environment' debate, highly relevant to GS Paper 3. Proposed by the , the ₹72,000 crore mega-project includes an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), a greenfield international airport, a power plant, and a township. The environmental cost is staggering: the felling of approximately 8.5 to 10 lakh trees (the article states 1.5 crore, which appears to be an error or exaggeration by the source, highlighting the need to verify data; official estimates are closer to 1 million) in pristine tropical rainforests. The project threatens the delicate ecological balance of the island, which is part of the . It imperils endemic species like the Nicobar megapode, the leatherback turtle (nesting sites are near the proposed port), and the Nicobar macaque. Furthermore, the island is home to vulnerable indigenous tribes, notably the (a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group or PVTG) and the Nicobarese. The (MoEFCC) granted environmental clearance, raising concerns about the efficacy of (EIA) processes when major infrastructure projects are prioritized. UPSC often tests the trade-offs involved in such mega-projects in fragile ecosystems.
Geostrategic & Economic
Beyond the environmental concerns, the has significant geostrategic and economic dimensions. Great Nicobar's location, just 90 nautical miles from the western entrance of the Malacca Strait, makes it a critical point in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The proposed transshipment port aims to capture a share of the massive maritime trade passing through this chokepoint, currently dominated by ports like Singapore and Colombo. From a security perspective, enhancing infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is seen as a counter to China's increasing naval presence in the IOR (the 'String of Pearls' strategy). The mention of the naval base not receiving land for expansion underscores the complex interplay of civilian commercial interests and military requirements on the island. The PAC's scrutiny suggests a need for a holistic assessment to ensure that the project's strategic and economic benefits genuinely outweigh its monumental environmental and social costs, a critical point for evaluating national infrastructure policies.