Nagaland Legislative Assembly session: House may discuss oil exploration, foothill road

Kohima, Sep. 19 (PTI): The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) session will commence here on Tuesday and is scheduled to take up discussions on oil exploration and foothill road construction in the state.

Wednesday will be recess for the three-day session, the provisional programme of business said.

According to the department of geology and mining, the exploration of petroleum and natural gas in Nagaland was carried out by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Changpang in Wokha district from 1981 to 1994 and it was suspended thereafter.

The Assembly had framed Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas (NP&NG) Rules and Regulation, 2012, but the Centre had in May, 2013 declared it unconstitutional” and that it should be quashed and set aside.

The state government had then said that NP&NG Rules and Regulation 2012 was framed through a resolution by the Nagaland Assembly based on constitutional provisions of Article 371-A of Constitution. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had negated that Article 371-A does not confer legislative power to the Nagaland Assembly on regulation and development of mineral oil.

The Centre had said that the power to make laws in respect of subjects covered under List-1 of 7th Schedule rests with the Parliament. Therefore the resolution passed by Nagaland in July 2010, is unconstitutional and invalid.

The House will also deliberate on Foothill Road Construction from Tizit in Mon district to Khelma in Peren district covering around 365 km and passing through areas bordering Assam.