Rio says FNTA Bill will be tabled Sept. 1 and likely passed Sept. 3 as Naga peace talks gain ministerial push.
KOHIMA — The upcoming session of Nagaland Legislative Assembly is expected to discuss the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill and issues relating to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), among others.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an event in Kohima on Friday, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the FNTA Bill would be tabled on September 1, the first day of the ninth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, and “hopefully” passed on September 3.
According to him, the state Cabinet had held discussions with the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) and legislators from the eastern districts and subsequently drafted another letter following the earlier communication in March, which had run into legal complications.
“The Cabinet had a discussion with ENPOs and ENPO legislators and had drafted another letter by Cabinet decision after the letter in last March got into a legal conflict. The document was sent to the Attorney General and then they came out with some solutions,” Rio said.
He said that the government subsequently discussed a few points with the ENPO representatives, who “fully agreed” to them, following which the letter was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“So, we have sent that letter to MHA and we will be tabling this on the 1st September assembly and hopefully we will pass on the 3rd (September),” the chief minister said.
Besides the FNTA Bill, Rio said the Assembly would also discuss issues relating to the FCRA.
Naga political talks
On the current status of negotiations concerning the Naga political issue, Rio said that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had “agreed to give” Ministers of State for Home Affairs to lead the negotiations. “This was communicated to the negotiating parties and it is in the process,” he said.
The state government had convened a broad-based consultative meeting with stakeholders, including tribal organisation leaders, civil society representatives and church leaders, on September 12, 2024.
The meeting adopted a resolution requesting the government of India to “elevate the ongoing dialogue and peace process to the highest political level” by appointing an interlocutor at the political or ministerial level with the confidence and mandate of the government.
About 300 people signed the four-point resolution, with the fourth point emphasising that Naga issues are political issues and that negotiations should be conducted at the highest political level.
Rio said the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting on September 1, 2025, endorsed the demand, which was subsequently taken up with Amit Shah, who agreed to it.