New Delhi :Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the newly signed tripartite agreement on Eastern Nagaland as “historic”, saying it would strengthen development, ensure long-term stability and open up new opportunities for people in the region.

The agreement, signed on February 5 by the Centre, the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), aims to fast-track development in Eastern Nagaland while promoting peace, progress and inclusive growth in the North East, the Prime Minister said.

Calling it “a historic agreement indeed”, Modi said the pact would enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland and “open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people”, underscoring the Centre’s commitment to lasting peace and balanced growth in the region.

The agreement, signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, lays the foundation for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA). The proposed authority will cover six eastern districts – Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator – and will be empowered to function across 46 subjects.

A key feature of the pact is administrative decentralisation. It provides for the establishment of a mini-secretariat for the FNTA, headed by senior state officials, along with a framework for sharing development funds for Eastern Nagaland in proportion to population and geographical area. Officials said the arrangement would not dilute or affect the special constitutional protections available to Nagaland under Article 371(A).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the day as “very significant for a dispute-free North East”, saying the agreement marked another step towards the Prime Minister’s vision of a region free from insurgency, violence and prolonged disputes. He noted that unresolved conflicts in the past had contributed to instability across parts of the region.

Shah said the government remained committed to resolving long-standing issues through dialogue and consultation, adding that since 2019, 12 major agreements had been signed in the North East. Unlike earlier approaches, he said, the current focus was not merely on signing accords but on ensuring their implementation “in letter and spirit”.

The Eastern Nagaland agreement is being widely seen as a structural shift in governance, with enhanced local authority expected to address long-standing demands for equitable development and administrative autonomy, while reinforcing peace and stability in the region.

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