Nagaland Assembly passes revised FNTA Bill 2026; Rio cites development push

"FNTA Bill will bridge development gap in Eastern Nagaland": CM Neiphiu Rio

Kohima, September 3

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said, "The Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026, is aimed at addressing the long-standing developmental deficits in Eastern Nagaland and fulfilling the aspirations of its people for decentralised self-governance."

Concluding his remarks at the 9th Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Rio said, "The six districts of Eastern Nagaland-Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator-have historically lagged due to geographical challenges, developmental deficits and limited state resources."

He further said, "The State Government had supported the demand of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) for a special institutional arrangement, which culminated in the Memorandum of Agreement signed on February 5, 2026, between the Government of India, the Nagaland Government and ENPO."

Rio recalled that the earlier FNTA Bill introduced in March was deferred following requests from the Ministry of Home Affairs, ENPO and the Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union for greater clarity on the proposed legislative powers and the provisions of the MoA.

The earlier Bill was subsequently withdrawn on September 1, before the revised Bill was introduced in the ongoing Assembly session.

"The State Government subsequently held consultations with MHA, ENPO, ENLU and other stakeholders and prepared a revised Bill after obtaining legal advice. The revised draft was submitted to MHA in July, following which suggestions were received and incorporated," he said.

A key assurance, Rio added, is that Article 371(A) of the Constitution will remain inviolable and will neither be diluted nor altered while implementing the FNTA arrangement.

According to the Chief Minister, the proposed FNTA will function as a unique self-governing territorial authority, enabling the people of Eastern Nagaland to pursue their social, economic, educational, cultural and linguistic aspirations.

The Bill also envisages greater financial and planning autonomy for the region. The State Government will allocate funds to the FNTA based on population and area, while the Centre will provide Special Development Grants for infrastructure and development projects.

Rio further said the State Government has requested the Centre to increase the special development package envisaged under the MoA from ₹5,000 crore to at least ₹10,000 crore, citing the scale of developmental needs in Eastern Nagaland.

"The constitution of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority will go a long way in fulfilling the desire and aspirations" of the people of Eastern Nagaland, Rio said, describing the arrangement as more than an administrative mechanism and as a commitment to equitable development, unity and progress.

The revised Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026 proposes a 62-member authority with legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers over 46 subjects across six districts of eastern Nagaland.

The FNTA will comprise 40 directly elected members, two Governor-nominated members and 20 ex-officio MLAs. One-third of the elected seats will be reserved for women. The nominated members will have voting rights, while the 20 MLAs will be ex-officio members without voting rights.

The elected members will serve a five-year term, with constituencies to be demarcated by the state government and elections conducted under the State Election Commission.

The FNTA's executive authority will rest with an Executive Council of up to nine members, headed by a Chief Executive Member (CEM) and a Deputy Chief Executive Member (DyCM).

The CEM and DyCM will have the status of Cabinet Ministers, while other council members will have the status of Ministers of State within the FNT.

The 20 ex-officio MLAs will be barred from joining the Executive Council.

— ANI