Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio led an official high-level delegation to New Delhi and met senior Central leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among others, an official update informed.
The delegation from Nagaland included Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton, members of the state cabinet, and members of the sub-committee of the state government’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) including Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir and Rajya Sabha MP Phangnon Konyak.
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According to an official bulletin, the team raised several pertinent issues to the central leaders including the unresolved Naga political issue, the financial state of Nagaland, and hardships caused by reinforcement of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime and Free Movement Regime (FMR).
Indo-Naga Peace Process: On the lines of the 4-point resolutions adopted by the consultative meeting on Naga political issue held on 12th September, 2024, Chief Minister Rio reiterated that the Indo-Naga peace talks were declared as talks at the highest level and that it was necessary to restore the talks at the highest political level by appointment of an interlocutor of political or ministerial level to expedite the talks and work towards realisation of an early and honourable solution to the issue. Union Home Minister was said to have been positive on the suggestion and indicated that a Minister of State for Home Affairs and officers from the Home Ministry will be appointed for the Naga talks.
Financial Pattern for Nagaland: The Chief Minister also highlighted the financial situation of the State and stated that Nagaland is a special political State formed out of a political agreement, and it was assured in the 16 Points Agreement that the funds required for administration and development of Nagaland would be paid from the Consolidated Fund of India.
Rio, in his official representation, stated that “When Nagaland became a State in 1963, it was recognised as a special case because of its history, political context, and limited economic base at the time. In fact, Nagaland’s creation as the 16th State of the Indian Union was the outcome of a political settlement. The 16-Point Agreement acknowledged that the new state would begin its journey under exceptional circumstances – political, geographic, security-related, and economic. Recognising these realities, as per Point No. 11 of the Agreement the Government of India undertook to bear the expenditure of the State from the Consolidated Fund of India, allowing Nagaland the fiscal space to stabilise governance, institutions, and public administration. Rio said this was a nation-building commitment, not a concession. Subsequently, however, the withdrawal of this arrangement in 1989, without dialogue or concurrence of the State, disrupted the foundational understanding. Over time, this has placed Nagaland in a structurally vulnerable fiscal position requiring resources gap funding in the form of Revenue Deficit Grants, amongst others”, he stated.
Rio appealed that this financial pattern should be restored considering the financial position and the political nature of Nagaland. The Union Home Minister also positively responded to this request and assured that the request of the Nagaland Government for financial funding would be undertaken from the Consolidated Fund of India. Similarly, the same issues were flagged to the Union Finance Minister for urgent consideration of the Centre, to which she assured the support of the Government of India, the official update said.
Protected Area Permit Regime: The matter of lifting of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime in Nagaland and relaxations of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) was once again raised.
In this regard, the Chief Minister highlighted that the state cabinet had on 6th January 2025, and 27th March 2025 deliberated on the re-imposition of PAP and the state government wrote to the MHA on 22nd January 2025 seeking revisiting the decision of the re-imposition of PAP regime in Nagaland and restoring the relaxation granted to Nagaland earlier. Again, the state cabinet had on 16 December 2025, and 3rd February 2026 further deliberated on the matter and decided to pursue with the MHA for the complete relaxation of the PAP from the state of Nagaland.
Union Home Minister Shah stated to have assured that the matter would be positively looked into by the Home Ministry.
Free Movement Regime: Chief Minister Rio in his representation also stated that “Nagaland shares a 215 Kilometre international boundary with Myanmar across Naga communities residing on both sides of the border. These communities have for generations maintained deep rooted social, cultural and economic ties with regular cross-border movement for agriculture, traditional practices and familial responsibilities. The State cabinet deliberated on this matter on 6th January 2025 and accordingly the State Government has written to the MHA requesting to restore the old FMR. On 18th July, 2025, in his letter, Rio have again drawn the attention of the Centre to the changes made in the FMR which are causing hardships and distress to the border communities and has requested for re-examining the revised guidelines and for considering a more flexible and context-sensitive approach that safeguards national security while respecting the traditional rights and way of life of the people. The matter concerning FMR was again deliberated in the State Cabinet in its meeting on 3rd February 2026 and considering the genuine concerns of the people, and the unique demographic and cultural realities of the region, it has been decided to once again take up with the MHA to re-examine the revised FMR guidelines.”
“The Union Home Minister gave a patient hearing and assured a positive approach and examination of the matter,” the update added.
