Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio addresses the gathering during the inauguration of the Angami Gazetted Officers Krotho Badze Multi-Utility Centre at Meriema, Kohima, on May 29. (Photo Courtesy: @Neiphiu_Rio/X)
Kohima, May 29 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio today cautioned that village councils issuing certifications to ineligible individuals under the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) could face criminal charges.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Angami Gazetted Officers Krotho (AGOK) Badze Multi-Utility Centre at Meriema, Kohima, the Chief Minister underscored that village councils play a key role in the implementation of RIIN.
Under the system, village councils must authenticate and certify a person’s nativity to the village before the District Administration can issue an indigenous certificate, he stated. In this connection, he cautioned against issuing false certifications.
According to the State DIPR, CM Rio also shared his recent experience at the Investment Summit held in Delhi and the Chief Ministers’ Conclave – Viksit Bharat. He maintained that large companies are willing to invest in the region. However, land ownership and the political issue remain major roadblocks, he said, urging the Naga people to act swiftly or risk being left behind.
He also referred to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1873, which introduced the Inner Line Permit system to protect the Nagas.
