Neiphiu Rio met Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi after the Nagaland Cabinet cleared natural resource exploration following withdrawal of a pending court case.
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KOHIMA — In the wake of the Nagaland Cabinet’s decision to proceed with natural resource exploration in the state, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday led a delegation of state ministers to meet Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi.
The meeting, held at the Union Minister’s office in Parliament House, assumes significance as it came days after the state Cabinet resolved to go ahead with exploration following the withdrawal of a court case that had earlier kept the matter sub judice.
Taking to social media platform X after the meeting, Rio said, “Had the pleasure of calling on Shri @HardeepSPuri, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and discussed matters related to the development of the state and the North East Region.”
Puri, in a separate post, stated, “Discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the development of Nagaland and the North East Region with Nagaland Chief Minister Shri @Neiphiu_Rio Ji, when he visited my office in the Parliament House today with Ministers Shri @princepaiwang Ji and Shri CL John Ji and senior officials of the Nagaland Government.”
Also read: Cabinet clears way for exploration of Nagaland’s natural resources
Rio was accompanied by Minister for Rural Development and Village Guards CL John and Minister for Health and Family Welfare P Paiwang Konyak.
It may be recalled that during its last meeting in Chümoukedima, the state Cabinet decided to proceed with exploration of natural resources after the petitioner withdrew a case that had earlier stalled the process.
On February 4, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Power KG Kenye told a press conference in Kohima that the Cabinet resolution was taken “based on the rights guaranteed in the Constitution.”
Kenye said the issue had remained pending in court after an organisation filed a case, but with the withdrawal of the petition, the matter had become infructuous, allowing the government to take a decision.
He also clarified that the Cabinet’s move does not go against the interests of the Centre, stating that Article 371(A) and related constitutional provisions clearly affirm that land and natural resources belong to the people of Nagaland.