New Delhi, June 11, 2026 — The governments of Assam and Nagaland and the Centre signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday to allow exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas along their disputed inter‑state boundary, ending nearly three decades of stalled activity in a resource‑rich but contested stretch of the Northeast. The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The MoU aims to permit exploration and production across more than 1,000 square kilometres along the 434‑kilometre Assam‑Nagaland boundary, a strip long believed to hold substantial hydrocarbon and mineral reserves. The pact specifically targets the Disputed Area Belt (DAB), where drilling and related operations have been largely halted since the mid‑1990s because of boundary and jurisdictional disputes.
Describing the signing as a “historic moment,” Mr Shah said the MoU improves prospects for oil and gas exploration and “opens up possibilities for mineral mining as well.” He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a prosperous and developed Northeast had cleared a major hurdle with the agreement.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the deal a decisive breakthrough and an example of cooperative federalism, saying it reflects the government’s commitment to resolving long‑pending issues that have hindered development and resource use in the region.
The MoU comes against a backdrop of recent tensions along the same border. In February 2025, Nagaland authorities had allegedly threatened to shut an ONGC drilling station at Uriamghat in Golaghat district, and in January 2025 ONGC shifted operations from Sarupathar to Uriamghat following threats from miscreants across the state line. Those incidents underscored the operational risks that the new agreement seeks to address.
Officials and observers say the pact is a major step toward unlocking hydrocarbon resources in the DAB by creating a framework for cooperative exploration while attempting to balance territorial claims, resource access and local governance. With inputs from agencies.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/north-east/assam-nagaland-sign-oil-pact-on-disputed-belt-after-decades-of-deadlock-1612622
Category: North East,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-06-11 21:16:00
