Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEP 3 (NPN): Advisor Achumbemo Kikon on Thursday raised concerns over oil drilling activities by ONGC in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the Nagaland-Assam border and alleged obstruction and assault of Naga villagers by people from the Assam side.
Calling attention to matters of urgent public importance under Rule 54, Kikon said he had received a representation from the Yamhon Area Public Organisation (YAPO) on August 31, objecting to the execution of oil drilling works by ONGC at New Wokha Hall, near Hayiyan village under Bhandari sub-division, Wokha district. The matter had earlier been highlighted by Nagaland Post in its August 31 edition, reporting concerns over the proposed drilling activities in the disputed area. Kikon, whose constituency includes the area, sought to know whether approval had been obtained from the Nagaland Government. If not, he said, the proposed site should be verified by the competent authority and the ongoing work kept in abeyance until the matter was amicably resolved in accordance with the Tripartite MoU.
He said the Nagaland Government had entered into a Tripartite MoU with the governments of Assam and India for survey, exploitation and extraction of crude oil and other minerals in the disputed belt. Kikon said the latest drilling activity was within the disputed area, only about half a kilometre from Lio Wokha old village, and alleged that ONGC, under the patronage of the Assam Government, had started surveying and identifying drilling points despite the Tripartite MoU.
He said sections of the people, civil society organisations and “freedom fighters” had raised concerns and objections, while ONGC and other oil companies were freely moving around the Assam side of the disputed belt looking for drilling points.
Kikon also raised the August 25 incident involving villagers of Longayim who had gone to collect rubber saplings from the Rubber Board of India. He said the villagers were stopped on their way by around 400-500 people from the Assam side, with some allegedly assaulted.
He said villagers continued to face the brunt of the unresolved dispute despite monitoring by district administrations. The incident occurred along the stretch where Nagaland and Assam had recently conducted a joint eviction drive against illegal occupants, he said, adding that even the right of way for Naga villagers was being hindered.
Kikon sought an elaborate statement from the Home Minister on steps taken to address the issue. He also questioned the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister over the deployment of forest guards in the disputed belt, noting that Assam had been claiming the area as forest land.
He said the 1972 interim agreement required both Nagaland and Assam armed police to stay away from the disputed areas and questioned whether the forces stationed there were genuinely neutral.
Kikon also referred to a stretch of the foothill road where movement had been difficult due to poor connectivity, noting that the Doyang Cabinet meeting on August 6 had recently resolved the issue.