Panel completes discussion with stakeholders on RIIN

A Commission constituted by the Nagaland Government to frame modalities of creating a Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) has completed discussions with all the stakeholders, chairperson of the panel Banuo Z Jamir said.

The three-member Commission had already interacted with Naga tribal bodies, civil societies and non-Naga communities for the purpose and the last meeting with political parties was held on Wednesday, Jamir said.

The state government on June 29 had issued an order to create RIIN while the Commission was established on July 27 to frame the modalities and submit its report to the government within three months.

The Commission is headed by Jamir, a retired chief secretary, and T Kiheto Sema and S Chingwang Konyak as members.

The RIIN is required to prevent issuance of indigenous inhabitant certificates to ineligible persons, officials had said.

Without divulging the outcome of the meetings with the stakeholders, the chairperson of the panel said, the Commission has taken note of their suggestions and will now prepare the modalities for submission to the government.

"We want to complete the process of framing the modalities within the stipulated time," Jamir told PTI.

The RIIN would provide protection to genuine citizens who are permanent settlers of Nagaland and non-Nagas will not be harassed during preparation of the list of indigenous citizens, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had said.

According to the June 29 government notification, the RIIN will help identify the citizens who settled in Nagaland prior to December 1, 1963, the day it became a full-fledged state.