CNTC asks Nagaland government to resume oil exploration and extraction

Dimapur, June 27 (EMN): The Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) has appealed to the government of Nagaland to resume oil exploration and extraction in the state, while assuring its full co-operation.

In a letter to the chief minister, the CNTC stated that the state government has failed to take any action on its repeated appeals to resume oil exploration and extraction in Nagaland.

It said that the advancement in technology will render the usage of fossil fuel redundant and the natural oil reserve in the state will become valueless in due course of time.

“It is therefore, pertinent to utilizse our natural oil reserve immediately, so that there is also sufficient internal revenue generation for the Government and also for the benefit of the land owners,” read the letter.

“Now, it is learned that PEL (petroleum exploration license) has been applied for to the Government of Nagaland by OIL (Oil India Limited) which has the exploration license in the bloc comprising the District of Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha and Zunheboto since 2019, (and) CNTC feels the three years is a long time to grand the PEL license,” it added.

The CNTC also said that the Champang Oil Field, which is closed since 1994, should be opened up for extraction through a proper company, while accusing the state government of trying to deceive the public in the guise of a non-natural oil entity.

“The state Government should also demand from the ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) all the drilling and deviation programme for the oil fields in the so called dispute areas and recover the royalty that is due to the state of Nagaland from the ONGC,” it said, while requesting the chief minister to take up the matter earnestly.