Dimapur, January 4 (MExN): In bold defiance, some Champang villagers and a number of the village’s council executives have denounced the government’s cancellation of the slew of so-called permits for oil explorations, issued by the Champang Village Council chairman earlier. ONGC and its oil-exploration partner Canaro Resources Limited are also warned of serious repercussions.
Mention may be made here that the Nagaland Government had declared illegal, and nullified, a number of permits issued to certain so-called ‘business groups’ by the council, December. The government had also issued a strong reminder that village councils have no power to issuing authorization over such areas concerning state commercial mineral resources, in any way.
In a copy of “declaration” issued to the Press after a January 3 meeting of some council executives and a number of Champang villagers in Dimapur, a number of points were highlighted were the state’s actions as well as the companies themselves were denounced. Among the points mentioned in the ‘declaration’ included endorsement of the CVC’s permit issued to the so-called “All Lotha Resource Management Co-operative; prohibiting the two aforesaid companies from ‘setting foot into our soil’ and the claim that the village council has “full powers, without limitations…” and that “…petroleum and oilfields in the state of Nagaland are clearly beyond the legislative competence of the state…”
A press statement signed by seven VCMs and GBs and another, a “declaration,” appended by seventy two persons led by the ALRMC’s “president” made their views clear: The persons at the January 3 meeting expressed full faith in council chairman Longshithung Kithan; the mining lease issued to the ALRMC was also claimed by the signatories as “valid and legal” and on this threatened to take action on the government for suspending the council and terminating the so-claimed “legal and binding” leases issued by the said chairman.
Mention may be made here that earlier in this year the influential Lotha Students’ Union had denounced the ALRMC and another called “Spice Resource Management” (SRM) as ‘unauthorized and unrecognized.’ The LSU had also warned of dire consequences. On October 20 a joint meeting of the Lotha Hoho, LSU and the Lotha Eloe Hoho had endorsed the Lotha Hoho to formulate policies to usher in acceptable, honorable and beneficial’ settlement of the oil issue and related mineral resources. The persons also asserted to fight “tooth and nail” against the “state government’s submission to ONGC.” They stated that “we will never allow ONGC or their undercover operators Canaro to set foot in our soil” and “warn of serious repercussions if the ONGC or Canaro adopts any unethical means and foul methods to enter into our village.” The signatories further claimed that the Nagaland (Ownership & Transfer of Land & Resources) Act (1990), oilfield acts and the spheres of mineral resources are “beyond the legislative competence of the state…” They further claimed again that the mining lease issued by the chairman in 2006 is “beyond the legal competence of any administrative officer or state government to declare it as illegal…”
On the village council’s status, the signatories stated that the Champang council was instated under the Nagaland Village Council Act. Interestingly, it also mentioned “…in accordance with the customary law and usage.” The signatories have demanded a “judicial enquiry” to bring the “erring books and punish them as per law…”
The statement issued by some members of the council also reiterated the same aforesaid and demanded a “judicial enquiry.” The statement mentioned that “majority of the households” decried the “highhandedness” of a “section of the state government” which the executives claimed were “misusing their authority.” For this the statement declared the orders and action of the government “unwarranted…illegal and void at the same time.”
(The state government had earlier Champang Village Council’s chairman Longshithung Kithan had issued permission to a so called All Lotha Resource management Co-operative for exploration, mining, production and commercial sale of crude oil and other associated minerals. A show-cause notice was then issue to the chairman through the deputy Commissioner of Wokha on September 24 this year to explain the permission granted. “Moreover, section 12 of the Nagaland Village and Area Councils Act 1978, which defines powers and duties of the village council, does not empower the chairman or the village council to acquire land and its resources and transfer it or issue mining lease or issue No-objection Certificate for exploration, mining and commercial sale or transfer of mineral resources” stated the government order. Over these points, the permission granted by the said village council’s chairman was declared illegal and against rules laid down and in existence, and subsequently cancelled.)
 MEETING RESOLUTION.JPG)
