OIL mulling exploration in Nagaland

D IMAPUR/GUWAHA -

TI, MAY 1 (NPN/AGENCIES): Despite stiff opposition from various quarters including some apex tribal bodies and the Working Committee of the NNPGs to the proposed oil exploration in areas along the Nagaland-Assam disputed boundary, there has been reports that the Oil India Limited (OIL) was planning to start exploration in Nagaland.

Nagaland is projected to have 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves. According to The Economic Times report, Oil India Limited is planning to conduct a 3D seismic survey of 4,000 sq km of land in Upper Assam, while exploration in Nagaland is expected to commence when the climate is conducive.

The company has also explored 3000 sq. km areas

CM, others extend Moatsu greetings

DIMAPUR, MAY 1 (NPN): Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, deputy CM Y. Patton and others have greeted the Ao community on the occasion of Moatsu festival.

CM: Extending warm greetings, chief minister Neiphiu Rio whished that the “festivity foster oneness and brotherhood and may you all be blessed with bounteous harvest.”

DyCM: In his message, deputy CM Y Patton said that the festival it is celebrated after sowing season, to make friendship, exchange gifts and feasting. Patton prayed for a bountiful harvest and blessings for their hard work done.

On behalf of the state BJP legislators, Patton wished all a blessed Moatsu and hoped that it is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm.

NPCC: Nagaland

Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president

S Supongmeren Jamir prayed that the Almighty God bestow a rich harvest upon the community, as the festival marks the end of the hard work of the sowing season and the celebrations filled with merry-making, singing, and feasting. Further, stating that Moatsü is also a time to revisit the culture and display it in the finest way to be passed down to posterity, Supongmeren prayed, “May it also be a time for fostering peace, goodwill, brotherhood and oneness across society.”

RCB beat LSG by 18 runs in low-scoring game

We have done seismic data acquisition.” we have the main producing area, and the Assam- Arakan fold belt which is in the South East of Assam shelf covering Nagaland has enough potential.”

“We are carrying out exploration in Arunachal Pradesh, we have planned extensive drilling and production is going on. In Nagaland till the time there was a dispute between Assam and Nagaland that was getting sorted out. There is a lot of discussion going on. We have 3000 sq km of exploration acreage in Nagaland,” he added.

Oil exploration only after addressing pending issues: NTC

DIMAPUR, MAY 1

in Nagaland. OIL has considerable potential in the Assam- Arakan fold belt and believes that both areas have the same potential, according to Dr Ranjit Rath, chairman and managing director.

OIL has done seismic data accusation of the areas in the Northern bank of Brahmaputra in Assam. OIL has a 3000 sq. km area in Nagaland.

Rath, who was in Guwahati on Monday while talking to media persons said, “We already started exploration in Mizoram. Further study is going on to further explore. In Tripura we have assets and exploration is done. In the Northern bank of Brahmaputra River Pathshala and Mangaldoi are covered under Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bidding.

Rath said, “In Manipur we are taking up baseline assessment of the areas in Nagaland border and some areas will be picked up for explorations. In Tripura we have acreages. In the North bank we will take up drilling. Rigs with over 2000 horsepower will be used”.

Rath said, “Once there is a climate of sorted out issues we will immediately have started exploration. We strongly believe that both the Assam shelf where

It may be mentioned that Assam and Nagaland chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Neiphiu Rio had agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states. Sarma and Rio reached an understanding during a meeting on April 20 night, hours after Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments signed an agreement to resolve their over five-decade-old border dispute.

Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decadesold border imbroglio in an amicable manner, an Assam government statement said.

NE getting more attention from Centre: Singh

DIMAPUR, MAY 1

(NPN): Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation General (Dr) VK Singh (retd) claimed that since 2014, the North East was getting more attention from the Central government and observed that connectivity had since improved in the region.

Holding a review meeting of National Highway projects in the district with Mon district administration and heads of departments (HoDs) of the district at Mon town on Monday, he called for taking development to the grassroots.

Singh also observed that for development and quality works in the district, local contractors were far better as they had more knowledge about the district. He suggested con - ducting entrepreneurship workshops to train people who wanted to get into such business so that they too could take up all types of contracts.

The minister exhorted

ULB polls issue: Centre seeks more time from SC to reply; next hearing on May 18

Spl. Correspondent NEW DELHI, MAY 1 (NPN): The Central government on Monday sought more time from the Supreme Court to submit its response on whether the constitutional scheme of one-third reservation for women in municipality and town council elections can be violated by Nagaland, where the assembly had passed a resolution to repeal the municipal act and resolved not to hold the elections to the urban local bodies (ULB).

A bench of Justices SK Kaul and Aravind Kumar had on April 17 granted two week’s time to additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, who was appearing for the Centre, to place their stand on record and listed the matter for May 1.

In a series of tweet on Monday, the Bar & Bench said that Nataraj had sought adjournment as the reply was not filed. However, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners, said: “How can they continue being in contempt.

Constitutional provisions are applicable to entire northeast as well.”

Nataraj had informed the court that an inter-ministerial discussion was on and therefore sought further time to file the affidavit. The court accordingly listed the matter for May 18, Bar & Bench said. Earlier, during the hearing advocate general Nagaland KN Balgopal explained the genesis of the case and informed the court that they had to consider customary laws. However, the apex court said “You are in breach. We gave you the longest rope.” the HoDs to ensure that the government schemes were implemented properly and insisted that there should be no compromise on quality. He also the District Hospital, Mon after the meeting.

Rajya Sabha member S Phangnon Konyak welcomed the minister, while HoDs of Mon district expressed gratitude to Singh for his visited to Mon in spite of his busy schedule.

At the meeting, ADC (HQ) Temjennaro Longkumer gave brief description about Mon district while the programme was chaired by deputy commissioner Mon Ajit Kumar Verma.

(NPN): After deliberating on oil exploration at a meeting of its executive council and advisers in Dimapur on April 25, the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has decided to make public its stand on the issue. NTC media cell expressed concern on news reports on April 22, about chief ministers- Neiphiu Rio(Nagaland) and Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam) agreeing in principle for oil exploration along disputed areas “along dubious borderline of two sisterly states.”

Acknowledging the good intent of the State government to maintain good relations with neighbouring States, NTC however said that Nagaland government was not subordinate to any other State government in the country, including Assam. So also the chief minister of Nagaland.

The council wondered why Nagaland chief minister rushed to his Assam counterpart and “agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundaries ….” without the consent of stakeholders, thus confirming as disputed border area by the State itself. It said there was always a mechanism to resolve differences, provided the government took care of the welfare of the State in general and the people in particular and live in understanding so that peaceful atmosphere prevailed. NTC said while Nagaland was endowed by Almighty God with rich mineral wealth, it could however not explore the huge mineral deposits and resources for making the State self-sufficient due to one or other reasons. It said one such known hurdle was the boundary and border problems on the Assam side.

NTC said that Nagaland always maintained peace on the border but on the contrary, Assam always created problem along the “artificial boundary line” and continued to annex Naga land. As a matter of fact, NTC claimed that, on the basis of the 1875 boundary demarcation of Naga Hills district of Assam, the historical and traditional/ancestral boundary of Nagaland went far beyond the present claim of Assam and therefore, called for reclaiming the lands immediately.

NTC also referred to point no. 12 of the 16-Point Agreement of 1960: “The Naga delegation discussed the question of the inclusion of the Reserved Forests and of contiguous areas inhabited by Nagas. They were referred to the provisions in Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution, prescribing the procedure for the transfer of areas from one state to another”.

In this regard, NTC pointed out that reserved forest means the Naga reserved forest which were transferred to Assam for administrative convenience.

It also said that “Agreement between GoI and the Naga people of Nagaland is Agreement”.

NTC lamented that the historical records and the hard-earned 16-Point Agreement of 1960 re - mained in cold storage for the last 60 years. NTC said once this was resolve, Nagaland could conveniently go for exploration of natural resources, including oil, without any hindrance. It said there cannot be a State without definite territory of land.

According to NTC , the second major hurdle was the defective Nagaland Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulations, 2012 and Nagaland Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 2012 (NP&NG). NTC noted that in the rules, the rights, privileges and revenue sharing for the beneficiaries, including that of employment of the affected land owner/areas and block had been deprived. Therefore, when the cry of the people were not heeded to for rectification, the Lotha Hoho , being the first affected tribe, filed a PIL in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench.

The State government persuaded the Lotha Hoho to withdraw the PIL and then signed MoU on November 20, 2018 that the grievances of the hoho would be amended within six months. However that has not happened and also the matter became a suo moto case in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, but was lying unresolved till today.

NTC said it would be better if the State government pursued the case in the high court before any other ultra-vires came in, and finalise the case and amend the defective rules and regulations before any wishful thinking for oil exploration.

3-day Moatsu festival begins at Mokokchung

Correspondent

MOKOKCHUNG, MAY

1 (NPN): The celebration of Moatsu festival, the premier festival of the Ao Nagas, got underway at the Imkongmeren Sports Complex here on Monday.

The festival is being held on the theme ‘Celebrating our Roots’ and organised by the Ao Senden with the collective celebration initiated by the Government of Nagaland. The three-day festival kickstarted with legislator Nuklutoshi gracing the inaugural event as the guest of honour in lieu of Water Resources adviser Tongpang Ozukum, who could not make it due to some official works.

Addressing the gathering, Nuklutoshi stressed on unity among the people. Without unity, he cautioned that the future would be bleak. He said the 11 Ao legislators had recently come together and resolved to remain united across party