Kohima, Feb 9 (PTI) The signing of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) agreement marks a decisive step toward peace, autonomy, and accelerated development in the eastern part of the state, Union Minister Kirtivardhan Singh said on Monday.

Addressing the press at the BJP state headquarters in Kohima, Singh said the agreement, signed on February 5 between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Nagaland government, and the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), will enable region-specific decision-making and faster execution of development programmes across the six eastern districts.

He said the FNTA has been granted administrative autonomy with 46 subjects devolved to the authority, a dedicated secretariat, and a separate annual budget funded by the Centre, allowing development priorities to be determined locally.

Singh, the MoS for Forest, said that the agreement will strengthen peace and stability, creating the necessary conditions for infrastructure development, investment, tourism, and employment generation in eastern Nagaland.

He said the FNTA framework reflects the Centre's broader approach toward the Northeast, noting that since 2019, the government has signed over 40 peace and development agreements with various groups in the region.

"Peace and development must move together. Once stability is ensured, people can focus on growth, livelihoods, and entrepreneurship," he said.

Singh said he would look into the long-pending issue of the expansion of the Dimapur Airport, the only commercial airport in the state, continues to be pursued.

State Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said that land occupied by the Assam Rifles training centre is under the jurisdiction of the Airport Authority of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The state government has already allotted alternate land for relocation, and the Centre is following up to facilitate expansion, including the possibility of handling international flights in the future, he said.

Singh said Nagaland would benefit from the Union Budget's provisions, targeting eco-tourism and rural livelihoods, including schemes for developing sustainable mountain trails, forest trails, bird-watching circuits, and homestay-based tourism. PTI NBS NBS SOM