Guwahati, Oct. 20 -- The Little and Great Nicobar Tribal Council has moved the Calcutta High Court's Port Blair bench seeking to be made a party to an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Forest Rights Act (FRA) proceedings for diverting 166 sq km of forest land for the Great Nicobar mega project.

The Centre, through the Environment Ministry, the Tribal Affairs Ministry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration have opposed the application, arguing that it was filed belatedly and seeks to expand the scope of the ongoing litigation.

Council chairperson Barnabas Manju, two village captains and another member of the Nicobarese community have sought to join the case, contending that the community never consente...