Rio likely to introduce revised legislation on Eastern Nagaland arrangementa
The ninth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly will begin on Tuesday, with the revised Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill expected to be introduced by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The two-day session is scheduled for September 1 and 3.
The revised bill comes after the introduction of the earlier version was deferred during the Assembly’s March session following concerns over the proposed authority’s powers and its constitutional and legal implications.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a special institutional arrangement for the six districts of Eastern Nagaland, namely Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator.
The proposal follows the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the Centre, the Nagaland Government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) in February this year.
The ENPO has for years sought greater administrative autonomy and a development-focused arrangement for the eastern districts. Following consultations with stakeholders after the March session, the State Government worked on a revised proposal.
Rio had earlier said the revised bill would be introduced during the upcoming Assembly session.
