REGIONAL

KOHIMA, SEP 3: Nagaland MLA Achumbemo Kikon on Thursday raised concerns in the Assembly over alleged oil survey and drilling activities in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the Nagaland-Assam border. Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton said the situation along the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) is now under control. Raising the issue under Rule 54, Kikon said he had received a representation from Yanmhon Area Public Organisation dated August 31 objecting to alleged oil drilling works by ONGC near Lio Woka Oil, close to Hayiyan village under Bhandari subdivision in Wokha district. Kikon said the site falls within his constituency and urged the government to ascertain whether the activity had obtained approval from the Nagaland government. If not, he sought verification of the site by the competent authority and keeping the ongoing work in abeyance until the matter was resolved under the tripartite MoU between Nagaland, Assam and the Centre on survey, exploitation and extraction of crude oil and other minerals in the disputed belt. He said the site was about half a kilometre from Lio Woka village and alleged that ONGC and other oil companies had started surveys and were looking for drilling points in the disputed area. Kikon expressed concern that continued activity could result in oil deposits claimed to fall within Nagaland’s jurisdiction being extracted from the area. He also raised the August 25 incident at Mekirang/Negheribil, where villagers from Longayim travelling with rubber saplings supplied by the Rubber Board of India were allegedly stopped at a barricade erected by the Assam Forest Department. Kikon said the incident highlighted the difficulties faced by villagers in accessing the area and alleged that movement and right of way along the border were being hindered. He also questioned the deployment of security and forest personnel in the DAB and sought to know whether Nagaland’s Forest Department was taking steps to deploy its personnel in the area. Responding to the border incidents, Patton informed the House that a vehicle carrying rubber saplings to Longayim was stopped at the Assam Forest Department barricade on August 25. A scuffle broke out after people from the Assam side gathered at the spot, he said. Border Magistrates from Nagaland and Assam subsequently reached the area and allowed the vehicle to pass after verifying that the saplings were intended for plantation at Longayim village and not at the evicted site, the DyCM said. Patton said another confrontation occurred on August 26 when people residing near the evicted site gathered at the barricade. He said two Naga village leaders were allegedly attacked after being accused of responsibility for the previous day’s confrontation, while an office bearer of the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation was also allegedly assaulted. The alleged victims were advised to file an FIR, and the case was subsequently registered at Bhandari Police Station on August 27, Patton said. The DyCM said the Wokha and Golaghat deputy commissioners later held a joint meeting, during which Nagaland conveyed that the movement of Naga villagers and the general public should not be obstructed as the road serves as a lifeline for border villages. The two administrations agreed to activate the Border Level Peace Committee to improve coordination, maintain peace and prevent further incidents, he said. “The situation is now under control,” Patton told the House. Giving the background to the dispute, Patton said a joint eviction drive was conducted at Negheribil/Mekirang on August 8, 2025, during which 205 households were served eviction notices and 146 were evicted. Eviction of the remaining 59 households was kept on hold following a court order. He said the Golaghat district administration and Assam Forest Department subsequently issued fresh eviction notices to the 59 households, but the Gauhati High Court, through an order dated August 18, 2026, granted a further 60-day extension. Patton said the Nagaland government was closely monitoring developments in the disputed belt and coordinating with Assam authorities to prevent further confrontations. He said mechanisms were also in place to ensure that any future eviction or plantation activity in the disputed area would not be undertaken unilaterally but through coordination between officials of Nagaland and Assam. (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL, SEP 3: Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Thursday said he was making efforts to strengthen the police force, while asserting that effective law and order was difficult to maintain in areas where police lacked authority and capacity. Speaking on the law and order situation in the state assembly, Singh said the attendance of two Kuki legislators in the ongoing session was a positive development and the result of peace initiatives by various stakeholders. “The attendance of two Kuki legislators in the assembly session is a good beginning and is the initiative of the House. They can come due to the peace initiatives taken by all,” he said. The chief minister said the ability of the police to maintain law and order was crucial for the functioning of the administration. “It is truly pointed out that a land where morality, strength and administration of police is absent is one where maintenance of law and order is difficult,” Singh said. He said the ongoing crisis had affected the movement of security personnel across areas dominated by different communities. “The effect of the crisis is such that Meitei and Naga police cannot enter Kangpokpi areas. Unfortunately, areas inhabited by communities have become sectarian. This was the scenario when I first became the CM,” he said. Singh recalled that there had been a time when protests were held against the deployment of police commandos in certain areas. “At one time, strikes were held against the entry of Manipur Police commandos, citing their capabilities. Though it will take time to recover, I am trying and will continue to make every effort at the highest level to strengthen the police,” he said. On the state’s finances, Singh said the prolonged crisis had affected revenue generation despite efforts by the government. “As the state is in a period of crisis, the revenue sector, despite our efforts, has not increased much,” he said. He said the state had collected Rs 20 crore in liquor revenue since March this year and was working to increase it further. “We are working on improving revenues. As to the increase in borrowing, it is within the permissible amount under the Ministry of Finance,” Singh said. (Source: PTI)            

GUWAHATI, SEP 2: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the two-day meeting of senior superintendents of police (SSPs) will discuss the prevailing law and order situation in the state. Issues related to law and order, new police recruitment, drugs, crimes against women and children and various other matters will be discussed at the meeting, Sarma said before the meeting at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy (LBPA) at Dergaon. “We will discuss these issues with the top police officials for the next two days and consider necessary steps,” he said. Sarma said Assam Police would adopt a stricter approach, particularly in cases related to drug trafficking and crimes against women and children. “I am sure the brainstorming session will result in certain positive steps to further strengthen police,” he said. This is the first meeting the chief minister is holding with SSPs after returning to power for a second consecutive term in May this year. Before the meeting, Sarma attended the passing-out parade of 403 police officers and constables at the LBPA. Congratulating the new recruits, he said it was a proud day of service and commitment for them, marking the beginning of a new chapter of dedicated service to the people of the state. The new recruits include 32 Deputy Superintendents of Police (Probationers) and 371 constables of the communication branch. The academy has earned national recognition, and besides Assam, police personnel from Goa and Manipur have been trained here, he said. “We have also received proposals from several other states for training their personnel at the academy,” he said. The newly recruited police personnel have been trained in various aspects of policing, including cybercrime and digital frauds, Sarma added. The CM inspected the parade and presented awards to those who demonstrated exceptional performance during their training. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI, SEP 2: A school teacher allegedly hacked to death his wife and two children with a machete in Assam’s Dhemaji district on Wednesday morning, police said. The man’s eldest daughter, 13, was critically injured in the attack inside their house at Telam Bazar in Jonai town, they said. A police officer said the motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, but economic hardship is suspected. The deceased have been identified as Chinuara Begum (33), Shakil Ali (8) and five-year-old Rijika Begum. The injured daughter is undergoing treatment at a local hospital and her condition is stated to be critical, the officer said. The accused, an assistant teacher at Gamchuk Primary School, has been arrested and the machete seized from his residence, police said. He told reporters that he had carried out the act due to financial constraints. The school teacher claimed that he receives a salary of Rs 10,000 per month. A forensic team collected evidence from the residence and interrogation of the accused is underway, the officer said, adding, the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. (Source: PTI)  

IMPHAL, SEP 2: BJP MP Sambit Patra on Wednesday said the decision to defer the 2027 Census in Manipur was a big step as far as the aspirations of the people of Manipur were concerned. Speaking to reporters in Imphal, the BJP’s Northeast coordinator thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision, which was taken following a high-level meeting in Delhi in the presence of Chief Minister Y Khemchand and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. “I believe this (deferring the census) is a big step as far as the aspirations of the people of Manipur are concerned. We welcome this decision. I hope we should also realise that the central government is always trying to see that all good comes to Manipur,” Patra said. “The central government, the Modi government, has a special place for Manipur in its heart,” he added. He thanked the civil society organisations (CSOs) for raising their concerns and the eight MLAs who had met Shah in Delhi over the issue. “They took up the matter in Delhi, and today we have the result in front of us,” he said. Asked about the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Patra said such decisions would be taken “in due course of time” at the level of the Union home minister. “The first demand was that the Census should be deferred and that has been met with,” he said. The Centre on Monday deferred Census operations in Manipur considering the demand by civil society organisations for updating the NRC before conducting the exercise. The development came a day before house listing of the Census exercise was scheduled to begin in the state on September 1. (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL, SEP 1: A 24-hour Manipur strike called by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation, demanding updation of the National Register of Citizens before the Census, paralysed life in at least five valley districts on Tuesday, with businesses and educational institutions closed and roads deserted. The Union government on Monday deferred the census exercise in Manipur, considering the demand by civil society organisations, with state Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam appealing to the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFC) that the strike be called off. The census exercise was scheduled to begin in the state from September 1. Market establishments and business centres remained closed, and streets wore a deserted look. Educational institutions also remained closed while public transport remained off the road in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts. A few private vehicles were seen plying on the streets. At Yairipok in Thoubal district, bandh supporters put up bamboo poles in the middle of roads to block traffic movement. The 24-hour statewide general strike called for NRC updation in Manipur paralysed normal life in at least five valley districts on Tuesday morning, officials said. JFD, in a late-night statement on Monday, said it will continue with its general strike despite the state government informing them that the census exercise has been deferred in the state as there has been no official order on it. On Monday evening, the CM Secretariat had informed that the census has been deferred in the state following a high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The decision to put the operation on hold came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to assess the current situation in Manipur, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The demand raised by the people of Manipur to defer the census exercise in the state before the implementation of the NRC was discussed in the meeting, the statement said. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting. Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for listening to the voices of the people and fulfilling the aspirations of the state’s people. He also thanked BJP president Nitin Nabin for his continuous support in fulfilling the wishes of the people of Manipur, according to the statement. (Source: PTI)  

KOHIMA, SEP 1: The Nagaland government on Tuesday withdrew the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Bill, which the Assembly deferred in March, and introduced a revised one in the same name on the first day of the Monsoon Session to set up a new administrative body for the eastern parts of the state. Speaker Sharingain Longkumer announced the Bill would be taken up for consideration and passage on Thursday. Members of the House have been asked to submit any amendments or clarifications by 2 pm on Wednesday. In February, the Centre signed a tripartite agreement with the state government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) for the formation of a Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), a long-standing demand for a new administrative body within the state aimed at addressing the demands of eastern Nagaland. The ENPO, the apex body representing eight tribes across six eastern districts — Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator — has been demanding a separate state since 2010, alleging decades of neglect. It later agreed to the Centre’s proposal for a certain degree of autonomy under the FNTA framework. The earlier version of the Bill was deferred by the Assembly in March after concerns were raised over the proposed authority’s powers and its constitutional and legal implications. Following consultations with stakeholders, the state government worked on a revised proposal to address the concerns. On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton moved a motion to withdraw the earlier version of the FNTA Bill, and it was withdrawn. He then moved for leave to freshly introduce the FNTA Bill, 2026, and it was tabled in the House. Five other Bills were also introduced in the House on the first day of the session. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio introduced the Nagaland Goods and Services Tax (Eleventh Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Nagaland Goods and Services Tax (Twelfth Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Nagaland Town & Country Planning (Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Nagaland Right to Public Services Bill, 2026. Health Minister P Paiwang Konyak introduced the Nagaland Paramedical Council (Repeal) Bill, 2026. These bills would also be taken up for passage on Thursday, the Speaker said. (Source: PTI)    

KOHIMA, SEP 1: The Naga Students’ Federation on Tuesday marched to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, demanding a resolution against the singing of Vande Mataram at official events, saying the protest was not intended to insult the nation but was prompted by the song being “against our faith”. On the first day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly in the Christian-majority northeastern state, the protesters marched from Naga Solidarity Park, raising slogans. NSF president Mteisuding said the students’ organisation would not compromise on the rights and religious beliefs of the Naga people. “We outrightly reject the imposition of Vande Mataram as it goes against our religion,” he said, while clarifying the protest was not intended to insult the nation or the national song. Mteisuding called upon the Naga people to stand for their “right to protect their faith”. He also urged Naga MLAs to prioritise their religious convictions, saying, “They are Christians first, then politicians.” The NSF president said they demand the Assembly pass a resolution against the singing or playing of Vande Mataram at official as well as private programmes in the state. He said the move was aimed at safeguarding the secular character of society. Mteisuding further informed the gathering that the NSF had submitted a representation to the chief minister and the Assembly speaker, urging them to facilitate the adoption of an Assembly resolution against the imposition of Vande Mataram. The NSF would continue its protest and remain outside the Assembly gate until the resolution was adopted, he added. The Monsoon session of the Assembly will conclude on Thursday. (Source: PTI)    

SHILLONG, SEPT 1: Sohra and Mawsynram, renowned for their record-breaking rainfall, witnessed deficient rainfall yet again as Meghalaya recorded a 38 per cent shortfall in August, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The state received 359.7 mm of rainfall during August against the normal 581.6 mm, the weather office said. At the district level, West Jaintia Hills recorded the highest deficit at 75 per cent, followed by West Garo Hills at 72 per cent, West Khasi Hills at 60 per cent and North Garo Hills at 58 per cent, it added. East Khasi Hills, home to Sohra and Mawsynram, recorded a 42 per cent deficit, while East Garo Hills and Ri Bhoi recorded 22 per cent each and East Jaintia Hills 24 per cent below normal. South Garo Hills was near normal with a 9 per cent deficit, while South West Khasi Hills recorded a large excess of 155 per cent, the highest among the districts. Rainfall data for South West Garo Hills was not available, the report said. August’s deficit followed a 9 per cent shortfall in July, while rainfall in June was near normal. In July, North Garo Hills recorded the highest deficit at 22 per cent, while South West Garo Hills received normal rainfall, with no departure from the normal. The sharp deterioration in August was reflected across most districts, with eight of the 11 districts recording deficient rainfall, while only South West Khasi Hills registered a large excess, the IMD data showed. (Source: PTI)