Dimapur: The Nagaland government has decided to convene a special session of the Nagaland Assembly to enact legislation for the constitution of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA).
The session will include the necessary legislative provisions to confer legislative powers upon the FNTA in respect of the transferred subjects/departments for the districts under it, in consultation and with the approval of the ministry of home affairs and in consonance with the Constitution, the state home department said in a statement.
The government urged the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) to reconsider its proposed public rally and shutdown in eastern Nagaland districts on July 10 in view of the decisions of the state cabinet and the various steps being undertaken by the state government for the constitution of FNTA.
The ENPO has called public rallies and dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the six districts of eastern Nagaland on July 10 against the delay in implementation of the tripartite memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed between the Centre, the Nagaland government and the ENPO on February 5 for creation of the FNTA.
The statement said the state cabinet convened an emergency meeting today with the members of the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) and senior officials of the state government to deliberate on the matter once again and in detail.
It said the meeting was called considering the utmost seriousness and importance with which the state government is pursuing the matter.
“In undertaking this process, the state government categorically reiterates that the provisions and safeguards enshrined under Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India are sacred and sacrosanct and shall neither be diluted nor altered in any manner whatsoever,” the statement said.
The government said it would continue to extend its fullest support to the legitimate aspirations of the brothers and sisters of eastern Nagaland and would remain steadfast in its commitment to their development, progress and welfare.
On the Government of India’s assurance of an economic package of Rs 5,000 crore for the development of the ENPO areas, as mentioned in the MoA, the state government requested the Centre to enhance the proposed economic package to a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore to accelerate comprehensive development, economic growth and progress across eastern Nagaland.
The statement said the decisions of the state cabinet would be formally communicated to the Government of India and a cabinet delegation led by the chief minister, including members of the ENLU, would go to New Delhi for onward advice, approval and guidance of the Centre.