EMN
Dimapur, July 21
The Lotha Hoho has issued reiterated its warning to the government of Nagaland that no permit or agreements for oil production activities in Wokha would be permitted. If the Nagaland government goes ahead with its much-demonized plan to go for any fresh agreement with any particular oil-bearing village or area, it would be treated “not only as null and void but shall be considered as an insult to Naga Customary ownership of land and its resources,” the apex organization has stated.The Lotha Hoho issued a press release on Tuesday, July 21, making clear to the state government that it should not dare to place its foot beyond into the reaches of the community’s resources.
Similarly, the tribal organization has banned singular entities such as a village or an area that bears oil, from entering into any agreements. Such agreements would not be recognized by the community, the organization has stated.
Another surprising turn of events that the organization pointed to was that the Nagaland government has allegedly violated an own executive rule, the government’s own, pertaining to the oil issue.
The organization said in its press statement that the community’s leadership iterated on July 10 during a meeting with leaders of various oil-bearing areas in Wokha. The meeting was conducted in Unity College of Dimapur.
“…it is hereby notified by Lotha Hoho, Wokha that no single village or area can sign on behalf of Wokha zone/district. Any village/individual signing on behalf of Wokha zone/district shall be answerable to the other oil bearing areas as well as to the Lotha community as a whole and all consequences arising out of it shall be borne by that village or individual,” the press release stated.
“In addition to this, the permit, which is millions dollar worth document, issued to MOGPL by Nagaland government, without any file number and signed by additional chief secretary and development commissioner, Nagaland, in the capacity of a chairman, Nagaland Petroleum & Natural Gas Board, in itself, is against the state government’s standing Rule no. 4, first schedule of the Rules of Executive Business 1980 P&AR department notification No. AR. 11/4/77 of 28/07/1980 which states that all such cases has to be issued by the concern department and in this case by the secretary, Geology & Mining department through a notification in consultation with the Finance department”.
Similarly, the organization stated the “Expression of Interest (EOI) on which the permit was based was also notified without any file number and that too by the P&NG Board and not by the concern department, the organization alleged.
In spite of the stated clarification, the statement added, if the state government of Nagaland goes ahead with the plan of any fresh agreement on oil issue with any particular oil bearing village/villages, “it shall be treated not only as null and void but shall be considered as an insult to Naga customary ownership of land and its resources”.
The statement was appended by chairman of the Lotha Hoho Mhao Humtsoe and its general secretary Mhondamo Ovung.
