A high-level team, lead by convenor of cabinetsub-committee for oil and natural resources exploration andplanning minister T R Zeliang, yesterday visited oil and gasrigs of Changpang and Tssori areas which were abandoned byONGC in May 1994 after protests by various organizations.
The team also took stock of the situation arising outof oil spillage from some of the oil wells abandoned by theONGC and interacted with villagers on the government sdecision to resume oil exploration and production through anew MoU with the exploring companies.
The minister said that there were mistakes earlier bythe state government when oil exploration began in 1973without framing proper modalities and Petroleum ExplorationLicense, leading to the current impasse over production of oiland natural gas in the state despite having huge potential.
He said the task before the cabinet sub-committee wasto set up uniform modalities in Nagaland to rectify the pastmistakes and to plug any lacunae.
It may be mentioned that under the land holding systemin Nagaland, communities or individuals are land owners, notthe government and it could not occupy land without theowner''s consent.