Dimapur: The Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Thursday referred the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill back to the state government for further examination, following concerns raised by legislators and pending inputs from the Centre.
The Bill, introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton on March 26, was scheduled to be taken up for discussion and passage. However, before it could be tabled, Speaker Sharingain Longkumer informed the House of a communication from Parliamentary Affairs Minister K.G. Kenye.
Kenye said a letter from the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) had pointed out discrepancies between the provisions of the Bill and the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on February 5 in New Delhi among the Centre, the state government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO). He said that certain provisions in the MoA were reportedly missing from the Bill and described the issues as “contentious”, warranting reconsideration.
He suggested that the Bill should not be passed in the current session and instead be referred back to the government for further scrutiny.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio reiterated the government’s commitment to equitable and inclusive development of the six eastern districts — Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator. He said the proposed FNTA was conceived as a special self-governing territorial authority to address the socio-economic, cultural and administrative aspirations of Eastern Nagaland, in line with the MoA, which envisages a four-tier governance structure.
Rio said while the state would allocate funds based on population and area, the Centre would extend special development grants under various schemes. The proposed authority would also have the mandate to prepare annual plans and identify priority projects.
At the same time, he flagged legal and procedural constraints, stating that the state Cabinet, after legal consultation, had observed that legislative powers could not be delegated to the proposed authority under a state law within the existing constitutional framework.
He informed the House that the matter had been referred to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which is examining the issue and has sought additional time, including the opinion of the Solicitor General of India.
Rio also said both the ENPO and the ENLU had urged the government to defer the Bill until all concerns were addressed and clarity emerged on the provisions of the MoA.
“In view of the request of the Government of India, a signatory to the MoA, and appeals from ENPO and ENLU, and to ensure the provisions are legally sound and constitutionally tenable, the Bill may be deferred and referred back to the government,” he said.
Accepting the proposal, the Speaker directed that the Bill be deferred to the next emergent session and formally referred it back to the state government for further examination.