Kohima: President Droupadi Murmu granted her official assent to the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill, 2026. Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio shared the news on X on October 25. He thanked the President and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for moving the process forward. The government now awaits a formal notification to trigger the law.
The Nagaland Legislative Assembly passed the bill unanimously on September 3. It covers six eastern districts: Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak, and Shamator. Officials had a long road to reach this point. The initial Memorandum of Agreement was signed on February 5, 2026, involving the Governments of India, Nagaland, and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO).
A draft version hit the floor on March 26 but vanished quickly. The Ministry of Home Affairs, ENPO, and the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union demanded changes. Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton stepped in to fix the gaps. He introduced a revised version on September 1. The assembly approved it just forty-eight hours later. As the Chief Minister noted regarding the legislative journey, the bill reflects a "key step towards establishing the proposed authority."
The law will not activate until the State Government posts a notice in the Official Gazette. Officials are looking to Section 1 (3) of the Act to manage the final rollout. Once that notice hits the press, the new territorial authority officially begins its work.
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