The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has demanded that the contents of the recently signed tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to restart crude oil and natural gas exploration along the Assam-Nagaland disputed border belt be made public.
In a resolution adopted at its meeting held at Congress Bhavan, Kohima, on Thursday (June 25), the PAC expressed concern over the agreement signed between the governments of Assam and Nagaland under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs to restart crude oil and natural gas exploration along the disputed border belt.
While acknowledging that oil exploration activities are necessary in view of the “deplorable state” of Nagaland’s economy, the committee questioned the secrecy surrounding the agreement.
“By signing an MoU only to keep the contents hidden from public information raises more doubts in the minds of the people,” the resolution stated.
The PAC demanded that the contents of the MoU be disclosed and cautioned that “any sellout of our rights over land ownership and revenue will not be acceptable.”
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The committee also adopted resolutions on the Naga political issue and the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA). It expressed concern over the delay in implementing the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position and urged the Government of India to implement an “honorable and acceptable” political solution for the Naga people.
The PAC further termed the delay in implementing the tripartite memorandum of agreement for the creation of the FNTA as “unacceptable” and urged both the Union and state governments to resolve contentious issues without further delay and fulfil the aspirations of the people in the ENPO areas.
The resolutions were adopted by a committee comprising NPCC Working Presidents Khriedi Theunuo and C Apok Jamir, Vice President Capt GK Zhimomi, and General Secretary N Yona Konyak.
