Nagaland Government Decides Against Resumption Of Oil Exploration In Disputed Areas

KOHIMA: the Nagaland government on Friday decided against ahead with plans for resumption of oil exploration in the disputed areas along the border with Assam, following protests from different quarters like NSCN (IM) and NNPGs, without consultation with all stakeholders and tribal bodies.

Deputy chief minister of Nagaland Y Patton said, “The government will hold a consultative meeting with all stakeholders before signing the MoU with the Assam government.”

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio,in a discussion last month in New Delhi, agreed in principle to facilitate the exploration in the disputed areas, with both states scheduled to start discussions this week.

The Nagaland government will now hold consult all tribal bodies and civil societies of the oil-bearing areas of Nagaland in Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung, Wokha, Nuiland, Dimapur and Peren. However, the date for holding the consultative meeting was not specified by Patton.

The Lotha Hoho, an apex body of Wokha district which has rich depository of oil in Nagaland, had objected in principle against taking a stand on Article 371(A) of the Constitution, which provides special protection to the Nagas on land and other rights. The Hoho stated that the MoU cannot be signed without the involvement and agreement of the community.

Article 371(A) specifies that land and its resources in Nagaland belong to the people, and not the government.

The NSCN-IM and Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), both of which are in involved in the peace process, said exploration of the natural mineral resources should not be done without a final solution to the Naga political issue.

Naga outfit NSCN-IM said on Wednesday that it would not allow any exploration of oil and natural gas in Naga territories until an "honourable political settlement" of the decades-old Naga political issue between the Nagas and the government is reached.

Experts say Nagaland is estimated to have 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves. Exploration of oil in the state was stopped in the 1990s folowwing extremism and opposition from Naga groups.

On May 1, the Chairman and Managing Director of the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL), Ranjit Rath, said in Guwahati that the exploration company was keen on exploring 3,000 sq. km. in Nagaland after carrying out operations in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Tripura, besides Assam.

Several other local groups in Nagaland, including the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG), a body of seven Naga outfits, expressed concern after state Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma agreed in principle on April 22 for oil and gas exploration in the disputed inter-state border areas of the two states.

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