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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 14 (EMN): Nagaland Legislative Assembly's Select Committee to Examine the Nagaland-Assam Border Issue had its first sitting on Tuesday after it was formed in the last Assembly session.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the convenor of the committee, told journalists after the meeting that the house had decided to increase the members of the committee and to include experts from the department of Geology and Mining.
“This is because a lot of oil operations are going on (in some parts of the border) and we need to understand that," he said.
He added that state’s lone Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi had put up a question in the Parliament on the matter. "We got some good information and we are discussing it,” Rio said.
Currently, the committee is composed of 10 members, inclusive of political parties, both the members of Parliament, and others.
Advisor of Border Affairs, Mhathung Yanthan said that the discussion was mainly on the genesis of the border dispute between the two states.
“Different suggestions have come from different members. Since it was the first meeting, it decided to have more meetings and the dept. of Border Affairs was advised to work on the modalities as and how the issue can be settled,” he said.
The advisor said that they would have to sit again, prepare the grounds and make reports. Further, it would have consultations with the government of Assam and with the Union Home Ministry.
"We are definitely trying to solve the matter outside the court," he added.
Co-convenor of the committee and senior NPF leader, TR Zeliang said ‘the problem is that there is no interim order from the Supreme Court, yet the case is pending’.
“Practically, some problems are happening every year on ground because the court cannot demarcate the boundary line. Therefore, it directed the Home Ministry to settle the matter. We believe that with the interference of the Home Ministry, both the states can come together and discuss and sit across the table, that way it can be settled," he said.
‘Another aspect of the meeting was that the local body (of indigenous people) of both the states should be constituted. These local bodies can sit together at the advice of the state government to solve the issue,’ he added.
Further, reviewing of the interim agreements between the two states was discussed, where a neutral person had to come in, like Home Ministry, to cross check all the interim agreements, which has been found to be one-sided.
On Sarfaesi Act
Minister of Land Resources, Planning and Coordination, and Parliamentary Affairs, Neiba Kronu informed that the committee would try to table the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi Act in the next session.
He informed that they had taken the opinion of the Advocate General of Nagaland. "We are trying our best to see that the bill is introduced in the next session," he said.
‘The decision was taken on the basis that banks not sell our property to outsiders and banks are comfortable with that. From CS level, a consultation meeting will be held with the bankers association,’ he added.
The minister also said that his department was working on bringing out land reforms.
‘Even now, Nagaland is using an act of Assam land laws of 1886 amended in 1978. It is time we have our own land laws,’ he said.
All-party meeting this weekend
Now that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit has received green signal from its high command for an all-party government, political parties -- BJP, NPF, NDPP and Independents -- will have its first sitting on September 18 at 10 am in the State Banquet Hall, Kohima.