Nagaland to hold special Assembly session for FNTA, seeks ₹10,000 crore package, urges ENPO to defer proposed shutdown
DIMAPUR — In a bid to break the deadlock over the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), Nagaland government on Monday announced that it will convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly to enact the long-awaited legislation, while also urging the Centre to double the proposed development package for Eastern Nagaland from INR 5,000 crore to INR 10,000 crore.
The decision was taken during an emergency Cabinet meeting attended by members of the Eastern Nagaland Legislators' Union (ENLU) and senior officials, amid mounting pressure from the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), which has called for a public rally and shutdown on July 10 over delays in implementing the February 5 Memorandum of Agreement.
In a detailed statement, the Home department asserted that the government remains committed to constituting the FNTA at the earliest within the constitutional framework. It stated that the proposed legislation would include provisions to confer legislative powers on the FNTA over transferred subjects, subject to consultation with and approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Also read: Statement on Constitution of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA)
Rally, shutdown across Eastern Nagaland on July 10 over FNTA delay
Nagaland: FNTA Bill put on hold, sent back for rework
The government attributed the delay to constitutional concerns over vesting legislative powers in the proposed authority through a state law. It stated the advocate general had advised that such powers could not be delegated under the existing constitutional scheme, prompting the state to seek the Centre's legal opinion. The MHA's response is still awaited.
Reiterating that the safeguards under Article 371(A) would remain "sacred and sacrosanct", the government maintained that Eastern Nagaland's development is integral to the state's overall progress.
It also announced that a Cabinet delegation led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, along with ENLU members, will travel to New Delhi to seek the Centre's approval and guidance on the proposed legislation.
Appealing for calm, the government urged the ENPO to reconsider its proposed July 10 public rally and shutdown in view of the fresh initiatives taken to expedite the formation of the FNTA.