Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla delivered his maiden address as Governor at the Eighth Session of the Fourteenth Nagaland Legislative Assembly in the NLA Hall, Kohima, on March 2, outlining the state government’s policy priorities, recent achievements and key development initiatives since assuming office in August 2025. He said the government is approaching three years in office and reaffirmed its commitment to honour the public’s trust through inclusive governance and development.
Opening the session with greetings to assembly members, Bhalla expressed confidence that the House would engage in constructive deliberations while upholding democratic standards. He highlighted the administration’s focus on finding a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the long-standing Naga Political Issue, and announced the formation of a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) that includes ministers, elected representatives from all tribes, political parties and the state’s Members of Parliament to facilitate dialogue. The PAC has also set up a sub-committee to streamline efforts, he added, and the Chief Minister and cabinet colleagues have urged the Union Home Minister to appoint an interlocutor at the political or ministerial level to expedite talks toward an early and honourable solution.
Bhalla flagged a major development on February 5, 2026, when the Government of Nagaland signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Government of India and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) to establish the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) within the state. Describing the agreement as a milestone for equitable and inclusive development in eastern Nagaland, he pledged full cooperation to advance progress across all communities and thanked the Centre for its support in finalising the pact.
The Governor said the state is working with ENPO and the tribal hohos of eastern Nagaland to constitute an Interim Council for the FNTA, and that special legislation for the authority’s formal establishment will be enacted in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, as stipulated in the agreement.
Bhalla also drew the assembly’s attention to the upcoming decennial Census. He noted the Census was formally notified on June 16, 2025, and will be conducted in two phases: the self-enumeration window will be open from June 16 to June 30, 2026, Nagaland’s first phase will run from July 1 to July 30, 2026, and population enumeration is scheduled for February 2027. He urged all members to cooperate fully to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the exercise.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/nagaland/story/governor-ajay-kumar-bhalla-highlights-naga-peace-efforts-frontier-nagaland-authority-in-assembly-address-1353840-2026-03-02?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-03-02 16:28:00
