Banuo Z Jamir
File photo of Banuo Z Jamir. Image credit - www.northeasttoday.in

The Nagaland government on Saturday constituted a three-member commission for studying, examining, recommending and advising on all issues relating to Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN).

The commission has been formed under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer Banuo Z. Jamir, said a notification issued by chief secretary Temjen Toy.

The commission has been asked to submit its report within three months from the date of its constitution.

The other two members of the commission are retired IAS officer T. Kiheto Sema and C. Shingwang Konyak.

While Justice (retired) Zelre Angami has been made the adviser of the commission, home commissioner the ex-officio member secretary and Nagaland commissioner and secretary, law and justice, are the ex-officio members of the commission.

The commission has been set up consequent upon various sections of civil society and tribal bodies of the state expressing their views, opinions and concerns on a number of matters pertaining to the exercise subsequently.

Several pertinent issues concerning the register were also raised by various tribal bodies, civil society groups and representatives of various communities of the state in the two consultative meetings called by the government on July 17 and 20 in Kohima and Chumukedima respectively.

The terms of reference of the commission would be eligibility criteria to be an indigenous inhabitant, authority to authenticate claims of being indigenous, place of registration as indigenous inhabitants and basis of claims of being indigenous.

The other terms of reference of the commission are nature of documents that will be acceptable as proof of being indigenous and any other issue relating implementation of the register, including the manner in which the exercise is to be carried out.

The commission will chalk out the modalities for carrying out its work in the manner it deems fit and will have access to all records and documents that may be relevant to the subject.

It will be free to associate with any government official or any person as it may deem fit for successful competition of the task assigned to it, the notification said.

It said the details of the remuneration/honorarium of the members of the commission and the adviser will be notified separately.

On June 29, the state government issued a notification for creation of the register.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]