Dimapur, March 3 (MExN): The Kyong Students’ Union (KSU) has sharply told the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas to stop delaying the task of drafting modalities for oil and natural gas exploration in the state and stop ‘taking the mandate of the people for granted.’ The KSU issued a copy of a representation addressed to the committee’s convener today saying that the task of framing modalities for extraction of petroleum and crude oil exploration in Changpang oil fields, is long overdue now.
“The reasons for the delay in drafting the modalities be made known to the Kyong community in particular and the Nagas in general given that the three months period for producing the draft modalities is long past now,” the KSU stated in its representation. The KSU said that cabinet sub-committee should give a new timeframe to finalize the draft modalities and inform all concerned within a period of one month.
“The cabinet sub-committee had received unprecedented support from all quarters to finish the onerous task of drafting the modalities for crude oil exploration and must not take that mandate for granted,” the KSU said. The KSU has cautioned that any more delay “will be interpreted as an attempt to thwart the wishes of the people and denial of the right to development and livelihood.”
The organization referred to the meeting at Changpang –ONGC on January 8, 2011 where the convener assured of “finalizing the draft modalities within three months, much of the joy of the Students’ body in particular and the community in general.”
‘The expectations of the Kyong community in general has been reinvigorated to such levels as to warrant this representation for your response and obligations thereof. Hence we place before your kind authority the points for immediate consideration and further request you to communicate action taken report to the Kyong Students’ Union,” the representation added.
