Amendment of cease-fire ground rules urgent - Thenucho

Kohima, Mar 21 (UNI) Nagaland Home Minister Thenucho today admitted in the floor of the house that there were some misinterpretation of some clauses of the cease-fire ground rules signed by the NSCN(IM) and the Centre.

Answering to a question of Congress member Taka Masa Ao, Mr W Thenucho said that due to misinterpretation of the clauses, cadres of certain underground factions were moving freely with arms in some parts of the state and the law could not deal with the situation due to the agreement. He said there was an urgent need to amend the rules.

The state government has time and again urged the Union government to amend the cease-fire ground rules in order to make them more meaningful and effective to maintain peace in the state.

Former Finance minister K Theire charged the government for its alleged failure to take up the matter with the Centre. Moreover, there are representatives of the state government in the cease-fire monitoring group (CFMG), which is monitoring the implementation of the agreed cease-fire ground rules.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio informed the house that before the signing of the cease-fire agreement between the Centre and the NSCN(IM), the state government had requested the Centre to sign the agreement with the consent of the state government. He said there is a stalemate to find out a solution to the Naga political problem although talks were still on.

UNI AS SP SKM1403