The Nagaland Cabinet has reviewed issues related to oil exploration along the Assam-Nagaland border, landowners’ rights, the proposed Foothill Road and the state’s response to floods and landslides, Minister Temjen Imna Along said on Monday.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a BJP programme in Kohima, Along said the Cabinet meeting held in Wokha on August 6 was “historic” and several important decisions were taken during the meeting.On oil exploration along the Assam-Nagaland border, Along said the state government would ensure that the rights and concerns of landowners and other affected stakeholders were properly addressed.“The Cabinet is of the view that all concerns have to be addressed in every way,” he said.The statement comes amid demands from civil society organisations for consultations with villages and other stakeholders that could be affected by exploration activities along the border.
Referring to concerns raised by the Central Nagaland Tribes Council, Along said the interests of stakeholders in areas affected by oil exploration would have to be taken into consideration.The issue follows a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Centre, Assam and Nagaland in New Delhi on June 11 to facilitate mineral-oil operations, including the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, in areas along the Assam-Nagaland border.The proposed activities have led to calls for greater consultation with local communities, particularly landowners and villages that could be directly affected by exploration and related operations.The Cabinet also discussed the proposed Foothill Road, a major infrastructure project intended to improve connectivity across Nagaland. Along said discussions had been held with the Centre and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways regarding the project. He also referred to discussions over different proposed road widths of 30 metres, 18 metres and 12 metres.
Describing the Foothill Road as a potential lifeline for Nagaland’s economic resurgence, the minister said the government was continuing discussions on the project. The Cabinet also reviewed the flood and landslide situation across the state and the measures being taken to assist affected communities. Along said the immediate priority was to help people affected by the recent disasters return to normal life. “Politics is one thing,” he said, stressing that the government had a responsibility to support people who had been affected by floods, landslides and house collapses. Several areas, including Mon, Tuli and parts of Tuensang, have been badly affected by landslides and house collapses, with loss of lives also reported, Along said.
