Mokokchung, July 5 (MTNews): Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) which has called for resumption of oil exploration and extraction in Nagaland visited Lotha areas and held meetings with various Lotha civil society organizations including Lotha Hoho and discussed three pertinent issues: exploration of oil in Nagaland, foothill road and Naga political solution.
CNTC held consultative meeting with Lotha Hoho on June 29, 2022 at Lotha Hoho, Wokha followed by interactive meeting with Lotha Lower Range Public Organization (LLRPO), Bhandari Town Council, Lower Lotha Elders and Officers Forum (LLEOF), Lower Range GB Association, Bhandari Town Women Hoho, Yamhon Area Public Organization (YAPO) and Bhandari Town Students Union on June 29 and another interactive meeting with Changpang Oil Field Owners in the presence of LLPRO, Lotha Hoho, Changpang Village Council members and members from Tssori Old on June 30.
Apart from the meetings, CNTC along with the above mentioned organizations also visited Changpang oil field to take firsthand information on the problem faced by the oil bearing land owners, a press release by the CNTC Media Cell informed.
OIL EXPLORATION
CNTC president, T. Lanu Imchen said that Lothas in particular are losing a lot from non-exploration of oil from their land. Since CNTC can only act as a pressure group for resumption of oil operations, he advised the oil bearing villages of Changpang and Tssori and being the first villages in Nagaland to have oil production, that whatever modalities agreed upon should be beneficial to the whole of Nagas.
CNTC general secretary, Er. Tsungrosan Kithan gave a brief account on the oil issue and reminded the landowners to be aware as differences of opinion will always be there but there will be a way out of the situation. He said Lotha Hoho filed the PIL against the regulation of Oil Act by the Government of Nagaland keeping in mind the rights of the landowners in particular and Nagas as a whole. In this regard, he requested the landowners to be aware of the content of the tripartite talks.
Kithan also highlighted to the meeting attendees on the CNTC’s recent interaction with the General Manager of Oil India Limited (OIL). He said PIL filed by LH has been squashed by the court as related by the senior advocate and also the next hearing on the “sou moto” by the court will be take up soon.
Vice-President CNTC is of the view that CNTC has gained more recognition after the recent meet at Wokha hosted by the LH on the oil exploration. He lamented why the GON was prolonging the extraction and encouraged all the three apex tribal Hohos under CNTC to supplement any demands by CNTC to gain more weight on their demands.
LH chairman, Er. Mhondamo Ovung, who chaired the consultative meeting at Wokha, highlighted to the house on the PIL filed by LH in 2018 and said that the PIL has been already withdrawn by the LH after written assurance by the government of Nagaland agreeing to amend some rules and regulation mentioned in the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations/Rules.
At the interactive meeting, Chairman, Oil Bearing Union of Tssori and Changpang, John Kikon thanked CNTC for the visit and requested the council to ponder on Article 371 (A) and ways forward to utilize the said article for the benefit of Nagas. Kikon also requested CNTC and CSOs for pressuring the government and other parties involved for the resumption of oil exploration and extraction and informed on the tripartite negotiation between governments of Nagaland, Assam and India.
Kikon said since the closure of oil extraction in 1994 till date, no NGOs, CSOs nor the government has taken up any remedial measures to contain the oil spills which posed environmental hazards.
He claimed that landowners were never compensated for the oil bearing areas that have been sealed since the closure of oil extraction. Kikon further said that for negotiation of oil royalty, the opinion of all Nagas should be consulted as Changpang and Tssori were not the sole oil bearing areas in Nagaland.
Earlier, at the interactive meeting between CNTC and Changpang Oil Field Owners, chairman Changpang ONGC, Nzanbemo Yanthan informed the house that a total of 31 oil wells were drilled by ONGC and out of which 21 wells were oil bearing and two were gas bearing. He also informed the members that ONGC is doing horizontal deviation and said that all land encroachment by Assam took place after the discovery of oil in Changpang and Tssori areas.
FOOTHILL ROAD
On the foothill road, CNTC president T. Lanu Imchen highlighted the recent amount sanctioned by the government of Nagaland and said that the maintenance was stopped for time being owing to unsuitable weather conditions but would resume when the weather favours. He encouraged the Lothas saying that the majority of the stretch of the foothill road lies under Wokha district and that they have more to gain from the foothill road project.
NAGA POLITICAL ISSUE
On the present Naga political scenario, CNTC and LH decided to re-affirm the resolution of the 14 Naga Tribe that no tribal hoho should meet any Naga Political group on its own on the Naga Political issue. However, meeting with any political groups should be done jointly by all the 14 Naga tribes.
LH chairman, Er. Mhondamo Ovung suggested that issues relating to Nagas should be initiated and to be decided by CNTC on behalf of the three tribes namely the Lothas, Aos and Sumis.
CNTC president lamented the exorbitant taxes levied on its own people by various NPGs taking advantage of its prolonged talk with the Government of India. He said that Nagas of Nagaland and that the government of India and the negotiating NPGs should sign the final solution at the earliest.
Meanwhile, at the interactive meeting, between CNTC and LLRPO including various organizations, CNTC president explained the formation and purpose of CNTC and stressed on the unity of the three tribes.
CNTC vice president, Hukiyie highlighted the council participation in the consultation called by the government of Nagaland on issues such as RIIN, ULB, NLTP Act, etc and Naga political issue and political governance in Nagaland.
Cultural secretary, Ekon Ezung explained that the purpose of CNTC visit to the Lotha areas was to see the ground reality of development. Further, LLRPO president thanked CNTC for visiting Bhandari area and assured full cooperation to CNTC in the future. The members also called on ADC Bhandari after the meeting.