Seeks cooperation from Hohos on oil
Dimapur, June 14 (MExN): The Commissioner and Secretary to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, M.K. Mero, has defended the Government of Nagaland’s right over “ownership and transfer of land and its resources” as resolved in the Lok Sabha as of June 2010.
Stating that a currently appeared news item about the Ministry of Home Affairs objecting to Nagaland’s independent opening of bid to companies for exploration in the State could “create certain confusion”, the press statement clarified that “the State Government have not been informed of any objection or reservation by the Government of India to the resolution dated 26th July, 2010 of the State Assembly, which stated that in respect of ownership and transfer of land and its resources, including mineral oil, no act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland.”
Mero cited again that in reply to Lok Sabha unstarred question No. 2423, given by the Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas on March 10, 2011, the Government of India had stated that the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India is of the opinion that the term “land and its resources” in Article 371A would include mineral oil, and their resources, and the State of Nagaland would have the power to frame its own laws regarding ownership and transfer of such land and resources under Article 371A.
In this, the Government of Nagaland has asked for the “cooperation and support of all tribal hohos, other Naga organisations, and civil societies as well as the public in implementing the said State Assembly resolution and the rules made there under, which are solely intended to enable reaping of maximum benefits for the people out of our natural resources.”
