A historic tripartite MoU was signed between the Central Government, the Government of Assam and the Government of Nagaland to facilitate mineral oil operations in the Assam-Nagaland border areas. During this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio were present.
On this occasion, Amit Shah said that this agreement is a historic step towards the development of North-East India, which will open a new economic corridor of energy, investment and prosperity. He said that this agreement will play an important role in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a prosperous and self-reliant North-East.
The Home Minister said that there are huge reserves of oil, gas and minerals in Nagaland, exploitation of which will help in reducing India’s dependence on foreign oil and gas. He said that there is a possibility of increasing the production capacity by more than 10 times from the present 1,000 to 1,500 barrels per day.
Amit Shah said that the Nagaland government has agreed to allow oil exploration in the entire state and not limited to only six identified areas. The Government of Assam has also supported this initiative, which will benefit all parties and pave the way for exploitation of mineral and energy resources in the entire North East.
Describing this agreement as an example of Cooperative Federalism, he said that both the states have chosen the path of mutual cooperation for the utilization of national wealth. This will not only accelerate economic development but will also strengthen trust and harmony between the states.
The Home Minister said that the Modi government has made the development of the North-East its priority. Since 2019, peace has been established in the region through 12 peace agreements, which has led to an almost 80 percent reduction in violence. The result of this is that today the North-East is emerging as a new center of tourism, investment and industrial activities.
He said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been removed from about 80 percent of the North-East and expressed hope that by next year the entire North-East region, except one or two states, will be freed from AFSPA.
Amit Shah said that this agreement will prove to be an important milestone for India’s energy security, the goal of self-reliant India and the prosperity of the North-East. He expressed confidence that the golden future of the North-East will become stronger with the resolution of border disputes and other pending issues.
This tripartite agreement will ensure a safe, stable and conducive environment for oil and gas exploration and production activities. This will boost investment, open new possibilities in the petroleum sector and strengthen India’s energy security.
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