In a breakthrough aimed at unlocking hydrocarbon reserves in the North-East, the Centre on Thursday facilitated the signing of a tripartite MoU with Assam and Nagaland to enable mineral oil operations in the boundary areas claimed by the two states.The agreement, signed in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, is expected to end decades of uncertainty over oil exploration in six disputed fields and pave the way for wider mineral development across the region.Describing the accord as a “historic moment”, Shah said both states had agreed to adopt a 50:50 sharing arrangement rather than allowing territorial disputes to impede the extraction of national resources.“Neither Assam nor Nagaland has emerged as a winner or loser. It is a win-win arrangement in which all have emerged victorious,” he said.Shah said the agreement had removed a major hurdle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a prosperous and developed North-East and reflected the spirit of “Nation First”.According to the Home Minister, the pact would significantly boost oil production in the region. He said the existing extraction capacity of 1,000-1,500 barrels per day could increase more than tenfold and noted that a single field had the potential to yield recoveries exceeding Rs 15,000 crore.