6 districts of Nagaland sign autonomy agreement | India News

New Delhi: The Centre, the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) on Thursday signed a tripartite agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, supporting the cause of eight recognized tribes in eastern Nagaland and paving the way for the establishment of the Frontier Territory Authority (FNTA) of Nagaland in six districts of Nagaland.As part of the arrangement, FNTA will delegate powers related to 46 topics to FNTA, including areas such as Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator. Autonomy and a greater say would address ENPO’s longstanding grievances over the lack of equitable development in eastern Nagaland.Calling the agreement a step further towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a violence-free, developed Northeast, Shah recalled his meetings with ENPO leaders in 2021-22 and persuaded them not to boycott the elections by stressing that the Center was committed to resolving all disputes. He said Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio later assured him that his government would listen and address ENPO’s grievances.The agreement provides for sharing of development expenditure in eastern Nagaland in proportion to population and area, the home ministry said in a statement.