FNTA Bill 2026 deferred in Nagaland Assembly after ENLU flags MoA gaps; Centre seeks time, government to review provisions further.
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KOHIMA — The Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026, which was scheduled for passage on the final day (March 27) of the Eighth Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), has been deferred and referred back to the state government for further examination.
The Bill, introduced in the House on March 26 by Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home, Y Patton, had been taken up for consideration and passage. However, during Friday’s proceedings, Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs, KG Kenye, informed the House that he had received a letter from the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) following its meeting with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO).
Kenye said that the ENLU had highlighted certain omissions in the Bill when compared with the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on February 5, 2026, in New Delhi. He added that there were contentious issues requiring closer examination in light of the MoA provisions, and suggested that the Bill should not be enacted in its present form but instead be referred back to the government for reconsideration.
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Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, while addressing the House, explained that the state government has been in constant touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and remains committed to ensuring equity and inclusiveness across all regions of the state.
He acknowledged the longstanding developmental challenges faced by the six districts of Eastern Nagaland—Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak, and Shamator—due to historical and geographical factors.
Rio recalled that the demand for an institutional mechanism led to the proposal for the FNTA, envisioned as a unique self-governing territorial authority to address the social, economic, educational, cultural and linguistic aspirations of the people.
He further explained that the FNTA is intended to function within a decentralised governance framework, with provisions for independent planning and development, including the preparation of annual plans and identification of projects based on grassroots needs. Funding would be allocated by both the state and central governments, including special development grants.
Outlining the legislative process, Rio said that the draft Bill was prepared following the MoA and deliberated upon by the state Cabinet on February 26, 2026. However, the advocate general opined that legislative powers cannot be conferred on the FNTA through a state law, as the state lacks constitutional competence to delegate such authority.
The matter was subsequently referred to the MHA on March 6, with further correspondence and a draft Bill submitted on March 17 after legal vetting. The MHA, in its communication dated March 10, had advised the state to proceed with drafting legislation in consultation with the Ministry.
Rio said that even as the state moved forward, the MHA later conveyed on March 26 that the issue of conferring legislative powers on the FNTA remains under examination, with the opinion of the Solicitor General of India being sought. The Centre has requested additional time before further action is taken.
Meanwhile, the ENPO had appealed for strict adherence to the MoA provisions while passing the Bill, and the ENLU formally requested that its passage be deferred until all concerns are addressed.
“In view of the request made by the government of India, the appeal of ENPO, and the concerns raised by ENLU, it is necessary to ensure that the provisions of the MoA are addressed in a legally sound and constitutionally tenable manner,” Rio said, proposing that the Bill be deferred and referred back to the government.
Taking note of the developments, NLA Speaker Sharingain Longkumer deferred the FNTA Bill, 2026 to the next earliest emergent session.
He directed that the Bill be referred back to the government of Nagaland for necessary examination and redress through the department of Parliamentary Affairs, citing the historic significance and public sentiment attached to the proposed legislation.