Kohima, March 12 The first phase of the eighth session of the 14th Nagaland Assembly concluded on Thursday after five days of proceedings, with the House scheduled to reconvene for the second phase on March 26.
Notably, this is the first time in the history of the state Assembly that a session is being conducted in two phases.
The session commenced on March 2 with the customary address by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
During the discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor’s address, members from all parties, except the BJP, expressed concern over the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to play or sing the national song Vande Mataram in the Assembly before the commencement of the session.
In compliance with the directive, the national song was played before the national anthem on the first day.
Following discussions, the House rejected the singing of Vande Mataram, stating that the song contains praise to Hindu deities in a Christian-majority state.
Members also maintained that the Assembly should exercise the special constitutional provisions granted to Nagaland under Article 371A of the Constitution of India, which safeguards the state’s traditions, culture and religious practices.
The Assembly subsequently referred the matter to a Select Committee to review the MHA directive and examine its applicability in the state.
Members also condemned incidents of racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in several cities across the country and called for greater sensitivity and constitutional balance.
The House further discussed the delay in upgrading the 123-year-old Dimapur railway station amid land encroachment.
Another discussion focused on the 'Critical Role of MSMEs in improving Nagaland’s economy'.
During the first phase, members also raised several starred and unstarred questions relating to development, infrastructure and governance across the state.
The Assembly passed two government bills — the Nagaland Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Nagaland Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2026, both introduced by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The five-day proceedings were presided over by Speaker Sharingain Longkumer for four days, while Deputy Speaker S. Toiho Yeptho chaired the House for one day.
On completion of the first phase on Thursday, Speaker Longkumer announced that the second phase of the session would commence on March 26, though the number of sittings was not specified.
As announced by the CM during the first phase, the government is likely to bring up discussion on the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Agreement, signed between the Centre, the government of Nagaland and the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) on February 5 in New Delhi.
Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio, is also scheduled to present the Budget for 2026-27 during the second phase of the session.
