This Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project issue is again heating up,and honestly,it does not feel like small policy disagreement anymore . Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has now written to Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal,asking some direct questions about proposed transhipment port at Galathea Bay.
And main focus is International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) project . Ramesh wants clarity on when tendering will happen and how private partners will be selected . That part matters because once private involvement is locked in,turning back becomes very difficult only.
In his letter dated June 21,2026 ,Ramesh also questioned whether 100% private ownership will be allowed,since current minimum private shareholding requirement stands at 55% . And that is not small thing ah,because ownership structure can decide who really benefits from such massive project.
He wrote,“I am writing to you as one among the very large number of people concerned with the ecological devastation that will be caused by Great Nicobar Island Project.” That line pretty much shows where his concern is coming from . Not just tender process,but possible damage to island ecology .
Few points standing out clearly here:
- Ramesh warns about possible destruction to coral colonies and biodiversity .
- He is asking when tenders will be floated for private participation.
- He has raised questions about rejection of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) requests.
And tbh,the ecological angle is what makes this whole thing uncomfortable . Great Nicobar is not some empty land waiting for construction . There are coral colonies,biodiversity,and fragile systems which may not recover if damaged badly.
Ramesh also referred to Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) meetings held in March 2026 . According to him,those discussions already showed complexity of project and risks involved . He also pointed to competition from ports in Colombo and Singapore,suggesting that even with known challenges,project is still being pushed ahead.
But his criticism is not limited to Sarbanand Sonowal . Ramesh has also communicated with Bhupender Yadav ,Jual Oram ,and Rajnath Singh over these concerns . He has repeatedly questioned environmental impact assessments done so far,calling them inadequate for scale of what is being planned.
As project moves forward,ICTP is expected to include civilian-cum-naval airport,township,and a power plant . Congress,with figures like Rahul Gandhi ,has been saying government’s story around national defense and public benefit does not fully convince them,and that private interests may be real winner here .
And that is where question stays hanging . If project is really so sensitive ecologically and strategically,why does so much about ownership,tendering,funding and environmental impact still feel unclear…
