Nagaland can consider oil & gas exploration in uncontested areas, says Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi, Jan 30: In a recent statement, Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister of Oil & Natural Gas, announced the exploration of oil and gas in undisputed areas of Nagaland. This development marks a significant step forward in the region's energy sector.

“The issue is under discussion with the Nagaland government. There are certain steps the state government has to take and we have been actively encouraging them to do that,” Puri exclusively told The Assam Tribune on Monday.

In an April 2018 report prepared by the state government-owned firm, the Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (NSMDC), there are an estimated 500 million metric tonnes (MMT) of petroleum and natural gas reserves along the Nagaland-Assam border in the northwest.

“Some of those fields are disputed by other states. But we have been saying this all along to start extraction where the fields are not in dispute."Puri added while declining to comment any further on the issue as it is still under active discussion between the central and state governments.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the second edition of India Energy Week 2024 in Goa from February 6–9.

“India Energy Week represents a golden opportunity to showcase these developments on the energy front and provide the platform for further development and growth in the energy sector,” Puri told media persons at his residence here.

This year, IEW is expected to host 17 energy ministers from different countries, over 35,000 delegates, and more than 900 exhibitors. The three-day event will also have country pavilions of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, the UK and the US.

The event will be held against the backdrop of India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, recently announcing the discovery of a new offshore oil field in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Local Issues Also Delaying Extraction

Other than inter-state claims over the deposits, local politics has also played a role in delaying the tapping of one of the country’s largest oil & gas reserves.

Clause IV of Article 371A in the Constitution of India holds that no Parliamentary act dealing with the transfer and ownership of land and its resources shall apply to Nagaland without the state assembly’s consent.

However, with the state government keen to commence oil & gas extraction, the state legislative assembly enacted the Nagaland Petroleum & Natural Gas (NPNG) Regulations and Rules as well as formed a board to resolve all outstanding issues.

In an earlier interaction with the writer, the lone Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from the state, Tokheho Yepthomi regretted that the state had not been able to make use of its oil wealth for the benefit of its people.

“Some have said it is their wealth and they won’t give it to anyone, even to the state government unless there is enough share for people from the oil-bearing areas. There are things that we must leave for future generations and there are things that we must make use of immediately,” Yepthomi had observed.

However, Yepthomi didn't respond to calls and messages from The Assam Tribune for this story.

For instance, in 2015, the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court issued a stay order against the permit awarded to Metropolitan Oil and Gas Private Limited (MOGPL) on a PIL filed by the local tribal body, Lotha Hoho.