Kohima, March 2 Nagaland Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Monday said the state government is working on constituting the interim council for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) in consultation with ENPO and tribal hohos of eastern Nagaland.
Delivering his maiden address on the opening day of the Budget Session 2026–27 of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the governor said the state would soon move for enactment of special legislation for the constitution of the FNTA in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, as provided in the Memorandum of Agreement signed on February 5, 2026.
Bhalla extended greetings to members at the commencement of the 8th Session of the Fourteenth Assembly and expressed confidence that the House would uphold the highest democratic standards during its deliberations.
Referring to the Naga political issue, Bhalla reiterated the government's commitment to an early and honourable settlement. He highlighted the constitution of a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) comprising ministers, elected representatives of all tribes, leaders of political parties and Members of Parliament from the state to facilitate dialogue.
A sub-committee has also been formed to streamline the process, he said.
He informed the House that the chief minister, along with cabinet colleagues and members of the PAC sub-committee, recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek the appointment of a political-level interlocutor to expedite the ongoing peace talks.
On the census exercise, Bhalla said India's decennial census, formally notified on June 16, will be conducted in two phases. In Nagaland, the first phase will be house listing and housing census to be carried out from July 1 to July 30 this year, with self-enumeration available from June 16 to June 30.
He urged members to extend full cooperation to ensure its smooth conduct in the state.
Touching on law and order, the governor commended the district administration, police and security forces for maintaining peace and appreciated the support of tribal bodies and civil society organisations.
He said sustained enforcement under the NDPS Act in 2025 led to the registration of 157 cases and arrest of 260 persons. The state police have strengthened its cybercrime response through a dedicated Cyber Crime Cell and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
He also informed that new Superintendent of Police offices at Shamator, Niuland, Wokha and Noklak have been completed and inaugurated, while the Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned the installation of over 1,400 AI-enabled ANPR and CCTV cameras in Dimapur and Kohima to further bolster surveillance and tackle drug trafficking.
The governor also outlined key achievements and future priorities across sectors while addressing the House, stressing human resource development, infrastructure expansion and fiscal growth.
In education, he said nearly 3,900 teachers have been trained under the Nagaland Education Project-NECTAR through Professional Learning Communities as part of the implementation of NEP 2020, while 17 Lighthouse School Complexes have adopted school transformation strategies. Infrastructure upgrades in government colleges are underway under PM-USHA, and the Nagaland Scholarship Nodal Cell has been launched to streamline disbursal.
Under the Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme, combined claim payouts have exceeded Rs 389 crore, benefiting over 1.1 lakh individuals. The State Drugs Testing Laboratory has been operationalised in Kohima to strengthen drug regulation, he said.
In rural development, over 3.41 lakh functional household tap connections have been provided under Jal Jeevan Mission, covering 94 per cent of households. More than 2.38 lakh farmers have benefitted under PM-KISAN, receiving Rs 770 crore through DBT, he said.
Horticulture, livestock, fisheries and natural farming initiatives are being expanded to boost incomes, Bhalla said.
The governor also informed that road projects under CRIF and NESIDS have been completed, while work on the Foothill Road is 70 per cent complete, while a 220/132/33 KV substation at Tsitrongse is under construction to improve power supply.
GST collections stood at Rs 987.38 crore as of January 31, registering 37 per cent growth, the highest in the country, he said.
The state has also initiated preparation of the “Viksit Nagaland @2047” vision document to align with national development goals.
Meanwhile, Bhalla expressed confidence that the deliberations in this session will further strengthen the resolve of the Government to create a more prosperous and developed Nagaland in every respect.