00:00First up, the spotlight is on the Great Nicobar Project once again as the government has cleared
00:0413,000 crore rupees Greenfield Civil Military Airport at Chingon near Galata Bay.
00:12Considering the strategic and economic benefits, the Greenfield Airport is expected to be ready
00:16within five years and will be under the operational control of the Indian Navy.
00:20However, this has once again reignited the debate over the environmental concerns.
00:25Rahul Gandhi alleged that government was portraying the Great Nicobar Project as a strategic and defence initiative
00:31but called it the biggest scam in history and gravest crime against India's natural and tribal heritage.
00:37On the other hand, government asserted that the project is driven by strategic imperatives
00:42that would serve India's long-term goals.
00:44According to sources, the project is not limited to military infrastructure
00:48but also includes the development of assets such as airports, power plants, logistics, hubs,
00:54townships and maritime infrastructure to sustain a permanent presence.
00:59That's the word that has come in and it has become the biggest flashpoint between the Centre and the Congress
01:06after Rahul Gandhi in particular picked up on this issue while he was on a diving visit in the Annamans
01:15and Nicobar
01:16and he also spoke about this particular project while the government is saying that this is very important
01:22from India's military strategic point of view and this will also have economic benefits
01:30as the Greenfield Airport is expected to be ready within five years
01:35and will be under the operational control of the Indian Navy.
01:38But Rahul Gandhi in particular, who alleged that the government was portraying the great Nicobar project
01:44as a strategic and defence initiative and called it the biggest scam in history,
01:49gravest crime against India's natural and tribal heritage.
01:53On the other hand, the government has asserted that the project is driven by strategic imperatives
01:58that would serve India's long-term goals.
02:00According to sources, the project is not limited to military infrastructure but also includes the development of assets
02:07such as airports, power plants, logistics, hubs, townships and maritime infrastructure
02:13to sustain a permanent presence.
02:15Let me take this to my colleague Shivani joining us on the broadcast
02:19with regards to how the government is defending this particular move
02:24to say that it is in India's best interest, especially when one is talking about the defence and military strategy.
02:32But the opposition clearly coming down heavily over this particular project.
02:38See, Suesha, there are four important projects under the great Nicobar Island project
02:44and one of them happens to be the Greenfield Airbase
02:48that will be not only for the civilian use but also for the military use.
02:51And this whole project is being termed as a strategic project and not a commercial project.
02:56And this will be to enhance the strategic capabilities of the country.
03:02We know that INS BAS has been in question as recently Rahul Ghani had visited this place.
03:07Oh yes, absolutely.
03:08And we'll also play out that chunk of how the government has spoken about this particular project.
03:15An 81,000 crore rupees project in one of India's most strategic locations
03:20that has sparked a huge political debate.
03:23Defence sources are strongly backing the great Nicobar project
03:26which is critical to India's security and maritime interests.
03:29Rahul Gandhi has accused the government of sacrificing ecology and tribal rights.
03:35And this now is being defended by the government to say that this is in India's best interest.
03:44Remember this project that amounts to 81,000 crore rupees.
03:50The government is saying that this is one of India's most strategic locations.
03:54But the political battle that has ensued, defence sources are strongly backing the great Nicobar project.
04:00They are saying that it is critical to India's security and maritime interests.
04:03Whereas the opposition, Congress in particular, Rahul Gandhi,
04:06who has spoken about the government sacrificing ecology and tribal rights.
04:11Take a look at this report.
04:30An 81,000 crore project.
04:35A strategic island in the Indian Ocean.
04:41And now, a fierce political battle.
04:48Defence sources are strongly backing the great Nicobar project,
04:52calling it a strategic national initiative, not a commercial venture.
04:56Sources say the project will strengthen India's maritime reach,
05:00reduce dependence on foreign ports,
05:02and boost surveillance through a new greenfield airport.
05:06They also argue expansion of INS bars was found less viable.
05:11Maintain that 81% of the island will remain protected.
05:14Sources point to a 2,220 crore conversion package.
05:19And insist, there will be no displacement of tribal communities.
05:24Sources also claim that project could generate more than 1 lakh jobs.
05:31But Rahul Gandhi remains one of the project's strongest critics.
05:36I was a bit disturbed that such beauty is going to be destroyed.
05:42Certainly the government doesn't understand.
05:44You're not going to be able to recover this once it's gone.
05:47The leader of opposition also rejected the government's defence argument,
05:52saying if security was a real objective, INS bars should simply be expanded.
05:58To build the best defence facility,
06:01INS bars has been asking for the last five years for expansion,
06:06give them full right of expansion,
06:08allow them to expand as much as they want.
06:13The Congress also red flagged ecological damage.
06:18The problem is, you want to steal 1.5 crore trees,
06:23each of which cost 3 lakh rupees,
06:26and fund your own little real estate play.
06:28That's the problem.
06:29So don't give me this nonsense about defence of India.
06:34Every single BJP person who's spreading this
06:37is trying to protect Mr. Adani and his interests
06:40and his link with the Prime Minister of India.
06:43The government, however, has rejected these allegations outright.
06:48Environment Minister Bhupen Daryadhar says
06:50the project received environmental clearance after scrutiny.
06:55If we give any environmental clearance,
06:58then we give it to the whole plan.
07:01There's a procedure.
07:02And the environmental clearance in Nicobar,
07:05he has kept the attention of all the people's minds.
07:11Yadev also argues that only a small portion of the island
07:14is involved in the project.
07:17Total Nicobar is going to be 1.78 percent.
07:21So is it for making a big port for the whole state,
07:25and that's not the plan of the environment,
07:27and that's not the plan of the environment,
07:29and that's not the plan of the environment.
07:29And we also are subject to judicial scrutiny.
07:33Judicial scrutiny has also happened.
07:38And taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi's visit,
07:41the minister questioned whether a scuba diving trip
07:44alone reflects genuine environmental concern.
07:57For defence planners,
07:58Great Nicobar is a strategic outpost India cannot afford to ignore.
08:03For critics,
08:04it remains a battle between development and conversion.
08:08Bureau Report, Business Today Television.
08:14And cutting across to my colleague Shivani Sharma,
08:17who's now joining us live on the broadcast,
08:19especially over how this has become a huge flashpoint
08:21between the Congress and the Centre.
08:23But even as the government continues to defend it,
08:27that's the word you're also picking up from your sources
08:29in the defence who say that this is very important
08:33from India's defence and military strategic viewpoint.
08:40Svesha, what the sources in the Ministry of Defence told India today
08:44was that the project that is now being planned
08:46and is underway should have happened long back,
08:49looking at the strategic location of
08:51Andaman Nicobar Islands and the Great Nicobar Stretch
08:54that happens to be the last tip of the country.
08:57And the Malacca Strait is barely 14 nautical miles from here.
09:03And this is an important place
09:05because we've seen the Chinese muscle flexing
09:07and how India needs to counter that.
09:09We've already seen in the West Asia crisis
09:11the importance of maritime domain
09:13and the dominance out there.
09:15Not only there,
09:16in INS Baas question 2,
09:19the sources say that INS Baas
09:21that earlier was planned to be expanded to 10,000 feet,
09:24has not been expanded
09:26because it could have harmed the environment.
09:28And looking at those concerns,
09:30the plan has been dropped
09:32beyond 4,500 feet of stretching the INS Baas.
09:35Instead, a new airfield,
09:37a greenfield airport is being developed out there.
09:40The timeline is five years.
09:4213,000 crores will be invested by the MOD and the MOCA together
09:46because it will be a dual airport
09:48for the civil purposes
09:51as well as for the military purposes.
09:54We know that the first theater command
09:57was established in that region
09:58and we need to grow there strategically and militarily.
10:02That's what the defense forces point out.
10:03And they also say that all concerns
10:05regarding the heritage,
10:07the tribes out there,
10:09the flora fauna
10:10are being taken into consideration.
10:11There is no harm that's being impacted
10:15or brought to these natural topography
10:18and the geography of that region.
10:20But certainly, we need to grow militarily
10:23in this stretch of land
10:24and Great Nicobar Island
10:26that consists of four major projects
10:28including the transshipment port
10:30and this airport happens to be
10:32a very important project
10:33that will enhance the strategic might
10:35of the country.
10:36Suvesha.
10:38Oh yes, absolutely.
10:39We'll wait and watch
10:40how the opposition responds to this
10:42and how far this goes.
10:43I want to thank you Shivani
10:44at the moment
10:45for getting us the latest.
Comments