Kohima: The Naga Students’ Federation(NSF) discussed their opposition to oil extraction by the ONGC in the state with the Nagaland Chief Miniter on Tuesday.
A delegation met Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Tuesday and said ‘oil exploitation by the ONGC should not be repeated’ and that ‘exploiting the entire resources in the name of oil extraction cannot be tolerated anymore’.
According to a press release issued today by NSF president Tongpang Ozukum and general secretary Esther Rakho the federation also favoured setting up of the Nagaland Special Development Zones(NSDZs).
They urged the government to first initiate thorough deliberation with the respective tribal Hohos, land owners, apex civil society organisations and Naga intellectuals.
The NSF also highlighted the ‘breach’ in agreements made between Nagaland and Assam concerning the border issue. It lamented that while Nagaland has ‘judiciously honoured the Interim Agreement, Assam has rather taken undue advantage of the agreements to strengthen their state forces along the border.
It urged the Nagaland government to ‘either abrogate the standing agreement or implement it in letter and spirit by both the sides’.
The NSF further urged the CM to work towards revival of the Nagaland Pulp & Paper Corporation Ltd (NPPC) and pursue the NPPC Ltd revival process at the earliest. Federation officials also informed him of the NSF’s meeting with the Advisor to the Department of Disinvestment (DoD) Kumar V Pratap on June 5 with regard to the statement given by the department on possible disinvestment in NPPC Ltd.
With regard to the proposal offered by a Punjab based trust – Dhayan Chand Trust – for establishing a private university in Nagaland by the name of Aaron University, the NSF cautioned the concerned Department and the state government against taking any ‘hasty’ decision. It demanded that the authorities scrutinize and authenticate the trust, board of trustees and their experience in the field of education and more importantly the fulfillment of criteria laid down by the UGC. (UNI)
