EMN
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 13
THE Kyong Students’ Union and other Lotha civil societies met with Chief Minister TR Zeliang in Kohima on Wednesday, where the differences in opinion and perception between the KSU and government on oil exploration were discussed at length.
Besides KSU, the meeting was attended by Lotha Youth Hoho, Lotha Eloe Hoho and Kyong Lower Range Students’ Union. The chief minister’s office issued a press release informing about the meeting.
Amos Odyuo, the president of the KSU, placed a number of points in regard to the Metropolitan Oil & Gas Pvt Ltd and complained that “the 17th September, 2012 letter on streamlining the P&NG regulations was never attended to by the government. Others who also spoke were also in favour of the resumption of NP&NG operations but expressed feelings that there were “still certain outstanding issues on the issue of permit to MOGPL to work in Wokha.
The chief minister is said to have stated that other grievances will be discussed and settled at a subsequent meeting where representatives of MOGPL will be invited to explain and answer the various quarries and apprehensions expressed by KSU and others.
This meeting will be held well before the Public Consultative Meet on oil exploration and NSDZ, the CMO release said. The CM assured action against MOGPL if it fails to deliver within the time frame provided in the State legal framework, the KSU said. Maintaining that no company in the world is free from litigation, the CM said only when there is proven incompetence and insolvency, action can be taken against any company.
Zeliang clarified all the points raised by the students union and appealed to them to strengthen the hands of the government in going ahead with the oil operations in Wokha, the release said.
Chief Secretary Banuo Z. Jamir and Commissioner, Nagaland, Toshi Aier who attended the meeting requested the KSU and other bodies not to resort to bandh on Independence Day.
The KSU officials and other leaders, including Fr. Abraham, said they will go back to the people and consult them over the appeals made by the State government so that tranquility is maintained and the government’s hands are further strengthened.
KSU demands immediate clarification
INFURIATED that the government of Nagaland and the Metropolitan Oil & Gas Pvt. Ltd continue to shirk from replying to the queries raised by tit, the Kyong Students Union has said not even legislation by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly would stop it from moving against the oil explorations.
The KSU issued a press release on Wednesday demanding ‘full’ and ‘immediate clarifications’ from the state and MOGPL. The organization took exception that the government went so far as to defend the dubious company, “an outsider, at the cost of its own citizens when the company itself had never defended nor clarified the allegations leveled against it.”
The KSU also denounced the government for not even bothering to invite the other three MLAs from Wokha district to the launching programme of MOGPL.
The union asserted to uphold the unanimous decision of the Kyong Hoho submitted to the convener of the Cabinet Sub-Committee for Petroleum and Natural Gas. “….The Kyong Hoho will not accept the Cabinet approved modality even if it is legislated in the Assembly unless our terms of references as submitted by us are accommodated and duly addressed in the Modality” which was worked out in the best interest of the Nagas,” the KSU quoting Kyong Hoho resolution said. The KSU also demanded that full clarification from the government on the MOGPL must be made immediately available it.
