Nagaland Cabinet to Convene Special Assembly Session for FNTA Bill, Urges ENPO to Withdraw Protest

KOHIMA, July 6 (NEPS): The Government of Nagaland on Monday announced that it will convene a Special Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly to enact legislation for the constitution of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), while assuring that the proposed law will be framed in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and in full conformity with the Constitution of India.

The decision was taken during an emergency Cabinet meeting held on July 6 with members of the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) and senior government officials following extensive deliberations on the implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on February 5, 2026, between the Government of India, the Government of Nagaland, and the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO).

In a detailed statement issued by the Home Department, the State Government clarified that immediately after the signing of the MoA, the Law and Justice Department was directed to draft the FNTA Bill. However, during Cabinet deliberations, constitutional concerns arose over the provision relating to the conferment of legislative powers on the proposed authority.

The Advocate General of Nagaland reportedly advised that a State law alone could not constitutionally delegate legislative powers equivalent to those of the State Legislature. Consequently, the State Government referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 6, 2026, seeking clarification while forwarding the draft legislation to the Ministry on March 17.

The Government stated that although the FNTA Bill was introduced in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 26, the MHA subsequently informed the State that the constitutional issue regarding legislative powers was still under examination and requested that further action be deferred until its legal opinion was finalized.

The State Government also noted that both the ENPO and the ENLU had sought safeguards to ensure that the provisions of the MoA were fully protected. In view of these requests, along with the MHA’s advice, the Assembly deferred consideration of the Bill, which was later returned to the Government for further examination.

According to the statement, the MHA’s response is still awaited.

During Monday’s emergency Cabinet meeting, the Government resolved to move ahead by convening a Special Session of the Assembly to enact legislation that would include provisions for conferring legislative powers on the FNTA concerning the transferred subjects and departments within the proposed authority’s jurisdiction, subject to consultation with and approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Government reiterated that the safeguards provided under Article 371(A) of the Constitution are “sacred and sacrosanct” and assured that they would neither be diluted nor altered under any circumstances.

Emphasizing its commitment to the development of Eastern Nagaland, the Cabinet said the State’s progress would remain incomplete unless the eastern region develops alongside the rest of Nagaland. It also urged the Government of India to increase the proposed ₹5,000-crore economic package for the ENPO areas under the MoA to at least ₹10,000 crore to accelerate infrastructure and economic development.

The Cabinet further decided that its resolutions would be formally communicated to the Government of India, and a Cabinet delegation led by the Chief Minister, accompanied by members of the ENLU, would visit New Delhi to seek the Centre’s advice, approval, and guidance on the matter.

In light of these developments, the State Government appealed to the ENPO to reconsider its proposed public rally and shutdown scheduled for July 10, stating that it is making every effort to constitute the FNTA at the earliest within the constitutional framework.