Itanagar, Dec 3 The National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang’s Yung Aung faction (NSCN-K-YA) has served an extortion notice of Rs 20 lakh to public sector oil major Oil India Limited (OIL), officials said on Tuesday.
The notice was signed by self-styled Major of the NSCN-K-YA outfit Tha Aung and sent to OIL’s office in Manabhum, located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The outfit in its notice has sought Rs 20 Lakhs within December 10 and it has also warned that OIL would be held accountable for any delays.
OIL spokesperson Prankush M Buzarbaruah confirmed the receipt of the extortion notice.
“We have received an extortion notice from NSCN (K-YA). We have taken the matter very seriously,” he told the media.
The spokesperson said that security has been beefed up at the exploration site in Arunachal Pradesh in response to the militant outfit’s notice.
“We have taken up the matter with the Arunachal Pradesh government,” he said, adding that the operations at the establishment are continuing.
The OIL has its operational site at the Manabhum reserve forest in eastern Arunachal and the thickly forested Manabhum reserve forest areas fall under both Changlang and Namsai districts.
The NSCN-K-YA notice caused some panic among the officials and workers of the Maharatna company.
The NSCN-K-YA has not signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre.
The Centre has signed ceasefire agreements with eight Naga outfits, including the dominant Naga group, the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and periodically extended the term of the ceasefire period.
The vital Framework Agreement with the NSCN-IM was signed in 2015 and the Centre also signed the Agreed Position with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups in 2017.
More than 90 rounds of meetings were held between the government and the Naga groups over the decades-old unresolved Naga political issue.
The NSCN-IM has remained firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas as well as integration of Naga-inhabited areas spread over four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, besides Myanmar.
The Centre has, on a number of occasions, rejected these demands.
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