3-member MHA panel led by AK Mishra meet CM, ENPO

Kohima: The Union Home Ministry panel appointed for talks with the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) on ‘Frontier Nagaland’ demand arrived in Kohima via Manipur by road on Wednesday.

A reliable source informed Eastern Mirror that the three-member led by MHA adviser (Northeast) AK Mishra paid a courtesy call to former Lok Sabha MP K Asungba Sangtam in the state capital before proceeding to meet Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Chief Secretary and other officials later in the afternoon.

Another source said that Wednesday’s meeting with ENPO leaders was informal and that it was a courtesy call by the panel for next meeting.

It may be mentioned that the ENPO had been demanding a separate state for the eastern region and had called to boycott the recent state general election before it was withdrawn following assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to solve the issue.

Officials from both the central and state governments had earlier said that the region could be given various financial and administrative autonomy but not statehood.