Kohima

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio thanked President Droupadi Murmu for giving her assent to a bill that facilitates the establishment of an autonomous administrative organisation covering six eastern districts of the state.

The President's nod to the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill will fulfil the aspirations of the people of six eastern districts -Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator, he said.

The Nagaland Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed the bill on September 3.

The FNTA is envisaged as a self-governing territorial authority aimed at strengthening decentralised governance and accelerating development in the six districts.

Under the proposed arrangement, powers relating to 46 subjects are to be devolved to the proposed authority to address regional developmental disparities and enable greater local participation in decision-making.

In a post on X on Sunday, Rio thanked the President for granting assent to the bill and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for coordinating the process, describing the development as a key step towards "fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Eastern Nagaland".

Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Legislature Party Leader Yanthungo Patton also welcomed the development, calling it a historic milestone for the region.

Patton expressed gratitude to Murmu and thanked the Centre for facilitating the process towards fulfilling the long-standing aspirations of the people.

The development follows a tripartite memorandum of agreement, signed on February 5 by the Centre, the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), an apex body representing eight recognised Naga tribes in the region.

The agreement sought to address the long-standing demand for greater autonomy in Eastern Nagaland while keeping the region within the state.

The ENPO had been demanding a separate state since 2010, citing alleged neglect and persistent developmental gaps in the eastern districts.

The FNTA framework emerged as an alternative institutional arrangement to address these concerns through decentralised governance and targeted development, officials said.

The bill's passage followed months of deliberations over its provisions, as an earlier version introduced in the Assembly in March was deferred after the Centre, the ENPO and the Eastern Nagaland Legislators' Union had sought clarity on certain aspects, including the proposed authority's powers.

The revised bill was subsequently passed unanimously by the Assembly on September 3.

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The President's assent marks a key constitutional step towards operationalising the authority. Its implementation is expected to be governed by the provisions of the legislation and the necessary formal notifications by the state government, the officials said.

The onus now rests on the Nagaland government to initiate the implementation process, they added.