Nagaland demands Centre for enhanced legal infrastructure support

Nagaland’s Principal Secretary for Law & Justice, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS, met Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in New Delhi to follow up on commitments made during the minister's earlier visits to the state.

During the meeting at Shastri Bhavan, Sema urged an increase in the number of Notary Publics in Nagaland from 200 to 400 under Rule 8(4A) of the Notaries Rules, 1956. He pointed out that the original quota was allotted in 1963 when Nagaland had only three districts and a population of 3.7 lakh. With 20 districts and an estimated population of 22.58 lakh today, the demand for notarial services has significantly grown. Meghwal, along with Additional Secretary (Legal Affairs) Ashutosh Mishra, assured that the proposal would be considered and amendments to the rules could be expected within two months.

Sema also raised the issue of the long-pending High Court building project in Nagaland. He highlighted that despite the state government having already spent Rs 242 crore, Rs 299 crore more is required to complete the project. Meghwal stated that the matter has been taken up with the Ministry of Finance and expressed optimism for funding in the current financial year.

Additionally, Sema sought central funding for new District Court buildings at Nuiland, Tseminyu, and Shamator, where land has already been acquired. He also requested early release of funds for the ongoing construction of courts at Mon and Noklak and other district-level infrastructure.

The Union Minister, along with Joint Secretary (Justice) Gaurav Masaldan, assured that all requests would be considered subject to the completion of formalities and compliance with the SNA-SPARSH system for CSS fund disbursement.