Nagaland
State Cabinet resolves to request Centre to review Citizenship Bill
Bans illegal coal mining across the state
Dimapur, Jan. 7 (EMN): Amid uproar against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 by several organisations from the Northeast, Nagaland state Cabinet on Monday resolved to request the central government to “re-examine and review the Bill to ensure that it is in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution of India and the existing practices of the Nagas.”
The state Cabinet resolved during its gathering in Dimapur on Jan. 7 that a ‘meeting of all political parties in the state will be convened to examine the issue in its entirety.’
“Taking into consideration the various imbalances that may emerge and to ensure that peace and tranquility continues in the State and to ensure the sanctity of all previous regulations such as the Inner Line Permit and the rights of the Nagas as provided in Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India, the issue requires further review,” read the statement from the CMO’s office.
A resolution “reaffirming all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873 in the next Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA)” was also adopted at the meeting.
The Cabinet has resolved to urge the Joint Legislators’ Forum comprising of all 60 members of the NLA to collectively call upon the government of India to expedite the peace process of the Naga political issue for a final settlement that is honourable, inclusive and acceptable to the Nagas.
The state cabinet also resolved to ban illegal coal mining across the state and also “impose a provisional mining ban on all firms/companies which have been issued with mining licenses with immediate effect.” It went on to say that “a committee headed by the Secretary, Geology and Mining in coordination with the department of Environment and Forests, and Climate Change, Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB), district administration and police; and an inter-ministerial team (IMT) should separately examine the issue of coal mining and the resultant damages caused to the environment. The Committee and the IMT should submit their respective reports to the Government by the end of February.”
The resolution on banning of illegal coal mining in the state came close on the heels of the tragedy that has hit Meghalaya where 15 miners trapped inside a flooded coal pit since Dec. 13 still remain untraced.