Kohima, March 5: The decks have been cleared for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to begin oil exploration in Nagaland with the tribal organisation, opposed to the activity, finally giving a green light. The tribal Lotha Hoho, whose writ runs large in the oil-rich Wokha district, was opposed to the oil giant resuming operations in the area.
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio today said ONGC and other oil companies have been asked to start work without delay. ?I am happy that the landowners are also coming around,? he told a packed Banquet Hall at his residence on the first anniversary of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government.
From the 6,000 square km of potential oil-rich land in Nagaland, the contentious patch where work was carried out by the ONGC is in the Champang oil fields in Wokha district. The area of exploration is a mere 12 square km.
The ONGC had to pack upin the late Nineties after protests from several Naga organisations which alleged that the company was cheating the people of the state by drilling oil for profit ? in violation of the agreement ? and not even paying royalty for it.
Last year, the Centre included Nagaland in a short list of states, which would be given add-on royalty, making Nagaland among the highest royalty-earning states in the country. However, in February this year, the Lotha Hoho, the apex body of the Lotha Naga tribe who dominate Wokha district, refused to let the ONGC in.
Hoho president Nyanbemo Ngullie had said earlier that the company had not fulfilled its promise of ?adopting? Champang. Ngullie could not be contacted today but state geology and mining minister T.R. Zeliang said the government had resolved the issue with the Hoho. ?The agreement will be signed this month between the ONGC and the landowners. The Hoho will be a witness.?
Under the special provisions of the Constitution applicable to Nagaland, the land belongs to the people and any agreement would have to involve them. The Hoho had said it would allow exploration by MNCs ? some Canadian firms are also bidders ? but not the ONGC.
Zeliang said ?for now? it would be only the ONGC which would carry out exploration. The chief minister had visited the areas along the disputed Assam boundary this year and several villages in Wokha district to try and convince the villagers to allow oil exploration in order to develop the area.
The villages along the disputed area are some of the most underdeveloped, with no roads or even basic amenities. They are, however, rich in oil.