March 27, Kohima: The Nagaland Legislative Assembly has referred the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026, back to the state government for further examination.
The Bill, introduced yesterday by Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home, Yanthungo Patton, was scheduled for consideration and passage today.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister KG Kenye informed the House that he had received a communication from the Eastern Nagaland Legislators' Union, following consultations with the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation, highlighting certain discrepancies between the Bill and the tripartite Memorandum of Agreement signed last month.
Citing "contentious issues," Mr. Kenye suggested that the Bill be sent back to the government instead of being passed in its current form.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, responding as Leader of the House, acknowledged the concerns and detailed the series of consultations held with the Ministry of Home Affairs, ENPO, and other stakeholders.
He stated that while the government had proceeded with introducing the Bill to honour commitments, fresh communication from the Centre indicated that the issue of conferring legislative powers to the proposed authority remains under examination, with the opinion of the Solicitor General of India being sought. He added that the Ministry has requested more time before taking further action.
He also noted that ENPO had appealed for strict adherence to the MoA, while ENLU requested deferment until clarity is achieved.
In view of these developments, Mr. Rio proposed that the Bill be deferred and referred back for further examination to ensure it is legally and constitutionally sound.
Mr. Rio noted that the government remains committed to equitable development in Eastern Nagaland and is in constant touch with the Ministry on the matter.
Taking note of the developments, NLA Speaker Sharingain Longkumer directed that the FNTA Bill be deferred to the next emergent session, and referred it back to the state Government for necessary examination.