Kohima, 4 November (MTNews): Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, visited Kohima today to inaugurate the Multi-level Car Parking facility at NST bus station. This marks the second Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) inauguration in Kohima today, with another in PR Hill.
Puri, who was a special guest at the event, stated that the central government is committed to the development of the North Eastern states, with Nagaland as a top priority. He pledged that the government is open to accepting proposals for both large, capital-intensive projects and smaller initiatives, such as support for street vendors.
On the same day, Puri visited Tuensang and interacted with beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana in the district. He expressed his happiness at seeing many beneficiaries under the Ujjwala Yojana scheme in Tuensang. The Minister also assured support for a Multi Shopping Mall and Parking Project in Tuensang Town.
The Minister’s visit comes at a time when the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited (OIL) and Chairman of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Dr Ranjit Rath, expressed optimism about the prospect of commencing oil exploration in Nagaland during a virtual discussion with NELive on August 19. Dr. Rath stated that he was “very hopeful” of the imminent start of exploration activities in Nagaland, emphasizing the region’s promising potential for oil prospectivity.
Earlier on October 18, Chief Minister Rio also had discussions with Puri, focusing on urban development matters, particularly on petroleum exploration and production activities in Nagaland. The Minister’s visit also comes after the establishment of a Nagaland Ministerial Group on Petroleum & Natural Gas on July 24, with CM Rio as Chairman and Nagaland Chief Secretary as the member secretary. The group includes members such as TR Zeliang, Temjen Imna Along, and other legislators. However, this move has also faced opposition from civil society and Naga political groups.