The Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) has reportedly made its comments on the highlights of the draft Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) for the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT).
Sources said that ENLU’s comments on the draft MoS was reportedly submitted to the chief minister during the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
ENLU’s comments highlight several basic principles, including the establishment of a self-governing administrative structure (Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) under Article 371(A) that emphasizes decentralized governance. The envisioned administrative setup aims to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability while granting adequate legislative, executive, and financial autonomy within Nagaland State.
It was asserted that the spirit of Article 371 (A) will not be subjected to amendment.
The comments also underscored the importance of a balanced economic development approach for the FNT region, suggesting alignment with the broader State’s economic growth plans and in line with India’s Act East Policy.
Further, it was proposed that 30% of the State plan budget be allocated specifically for the FNT to facilitate regional development. Meanwhile, sources said that the state government had earlier received the draft MoS from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in December 2023, seeking its comments on the highlights of the draft MoS.
Since the state government was yet to provide its comments on the draft MoS, the ENPO had requested the government to submit the same by October 31. However, it was learnt that the state government had sought more time.
On the other hand, the state government had sought inputs from the 20 Eastern Nagaland legislators under Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU). The legislators have since submitted their comments, which are expected to undergo review before being forwarded to the Home Ministry, sources added.
It was learnt that the Fact-Finding Committee (FFC) team of the MHA will scrutinize the state government’s feedback on the draft MoS before convening the tripartite talks– State government, ENPO and Government of India.