Nagaland Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Monday said the state government is working to constitute the interim council for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) in consultation with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) and tribal hohos of the region.
Delivering his maiden address on the opening day of the Budget Session 2026–27 of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Bhalla said the state would soon move for special legislation to formally constitute the FNTA, in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, as provided in the Memorandum of Agreement signed on February 5, 2026.
He 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.
On the Naga political issue, the Governor 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, political party leaders and Members of Parliament from the state, to facilitate dialogue. A sub-committee has also been formed to streamline the process.
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Bhalla informed the House that the Chief Minister 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, he said India’s decennial exercise, notified on June 16, will be conducted in two phases. In Nagaland, house listing and housing census will be carried out from July 1 to July 30, with self-enumeration available from June 16 to June 30.
Touching on law and order, Bhalla said enforcement under the NDPS Act in 2025 led to 157 cases and 260 arrests. Over 1,400 AI-enabled ANPR and CCTV cameras have been sanctioned for Dimapur and Kohima to strengthen surveillance and curb drug trafficking.
In education, nearly 3,900 teachers were trained under the Nagaland Education Project-NECTAR aligned with NEP 2020, while infrastructure upgrades in government colleges are underway under PM-USHA. Under the Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme, claim payouts have exceeded Rs 389 crore, benefiting over 1.1 lakh people.
GST collections stood at Rs 987.38 crore as of January 31, marking 37 per cent growth, the highest in the country. The state has also initiated preparation of the “Viksit Nagaland @2047” vision document.
Bhalla expressed confidence that the session would further strengthen efforts towards a more prosperous Nagaland.
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