Oil & Kikon issue: HM Patton pitches in one for government

Dimapur, November 5 : The Home minister of Nagaland has issued a statement “to set the records straight” concerning the growing controversy over the recent sacking of the hitherto parliamentary secretary Mmhunlumo Kikon and the question over whether it was associated with the Lotha Hoho’s court petition against the petroleum-and- natural-resources rules. Y Patton issued a copy of his statement addressed to “my Lotha brethren” on Saturday. The Home minister noted that the community may have “given undue importance to media reports rather than actual facts” in assuming that legislator Kikon was sacked due to the PIL filed by the Lotha Hoho in connection with the Petroleum & Natural Gas Policy of the Nagaland government. The Home minister listed out a number of “facts”: On July 21, 2014, he stated, Chief Minister TR Zeliang officially ‘launched the resumption’ of oil exploration in Champang and Tssori areas in Wokha. The launch was organized jointly by the village councils of Champang and Tssori, and was held at Champang village, the politician stated. “The president of the Kyong Hoho delivered the vote of thanks wherein he said the launch of the oil exploration in the area would mark the beginning of a new era for the people. It may be also mentioned that at that point of time the Kyong Hoho was the apex body of the Lothas as the present Lotha Hoho was non-existent,” Patton explained. Here, the Home minister noted that the people of Champang and Tssori, besides the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation decided to support the government in this venture. “The launch was initiated and organised by the land owners of the oil heads, namely the village councils of Champang and Tssori, and I, along with several other colleagues accompanied the chief minister to the function. But before the function could start, some volunteers of the Kyong Students’ Union tried to sabotage the function for which the district administration had to ensure smooth and safe passage of the Invitees and delegates to and from the venue of function,” the Home minister stated. Patton also claimed that the government was in no way trying to see that the Lotha Hoho withdraw the PIL. The government is, “in fact,” he claimed, “more concerned about the status quo / continuance of Article 371 (A) as we know it, so that the constitutional safeguards it provide are not diluted or compromised in any manner.” Article 371 (A) was a political decision and it was a matter of concern that a political decision was being decided in the court of law “since all political decisions might not be able to stand the scrutiny of legality,” the statement said. The minister then referred to the ONGC’s production in the past: ONGC had extracted 1.5 million tons of crude oil during trial production, but paid only Rs 33 crore to the state government; Rs 63 lakh as royalty to the land owners. Ff calculated as per the new NP & NG Rules, the minister stated, the actual revenue should have been Rs 329 crore. “And with due respects to the Lotha Hoho, when the landowners, namely, the Villages of Champang and Tssori, and the Lotha Lower Public Organisation, are willing to go ahead with the oil exploration and have already signed an MoU with the MOGPL, it may not be quite proper for the apex Lotha tribal body to go against the decision of the actual land owners.” To the issue of sacking BJP MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon from the ministry, Patton said he would “be the last person to question the decision of the chief minister since all of us... hold office at the pleasure of the leader of the house.” It is the prerogative of the chief minister to induct or drop any legislator into or from the ministry, or, to allot portfolios, Patton stated. Further on the speculations that Kikon was dropped “because of the PIL filed by the Lotha Hoho,” the minister posed a number of questions: Whether the sacked MLA’s activities were in line with the programmes and policies of the DAN government; whether he had “team spirit” in tune with the “requirements of an alliance government.” Interestingly, the Home minister also remarked on ‘attendance.’ During May 2014-October 2016 about 16 DAN legislators’ meetings were held but Kikon was “present only once,” Patton explained. “Whether his proximity with forces inimical to the stability of the present DAN government under Chief Minister TR Zeliang was sending the right message to the alliance legislators and party functionaries,” he said.