PAC chief seeks report on Great Nicobar project

DURING a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, its chairman and Congress MP K C Venugopal sought a report on the controversial Great Nicobar Project from Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, sources said.

- PREETHA NAIR

The project has been consistently opposed by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. It has also faced criticism from environmental groups and other opposition leaders over its potential impact on ecology of the island. Although the issue was not listed on the agenda, Venugopal said he raised it suo motu, citing its significance and concerns over the ecological impact of the project. The intervention came during a briefing by officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on observations on the Comptroller and Auditor General report on the establishment and functioning of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute