Nagaland govt decides to enforce ILP in Dimapur

The decision was taken at the state cabinet meeting held here during the day under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, state government spokesperson and minister Temjen Imna Along told newsmen here.

ILP was not applicable to Dimapur district which was bifurcated into three districts - Dimapur, Chumoukedima, and Niuland in 2021.

Dimapur and Niuland districts share an inter-state border with Assam.

To visit Nagaland ILP is required by those people who are not indigenous people of the state.

In Dimapur district, there will be three categories of non-Naga residents under which no ILP will be required for categories I and II, he said.

Informing that Category-I relates to those individuals who were settled in Dimapur prior to the December 1, 1963, formation of Nagaland, he said that the department would work towards providing these individuals with smart card facility with the option to avail permanent residence certificate (PRC) and domicile certificate.

Category II relates to those individuals who were settled in Dimapur between December 1, 1963, and November 21, 1979, and these individuals will be provided permanent residence certificates with the option to avail of domicile certificates, he said.

Category III relates to those individuals who were settled in Dimapur on and beyond November 22, 1979, he said.

Along informed that the government would strengthen the digital system for issuance of ILP so that people requiring the permit will not have to come through middle-man or go to offices.

Certain categories such as students, teachers, technical personnel, and businessmen who are investing in the state should be provided ILP for a longer duration of 2-5 years at a time, the minister said.

Nagaland restricts the entry of non-Nagas into the state under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act of 1873, which aims to protect the identity and existence of the indigenous people. The Inner Line Permit (ILP) makes it obligatory for anyone, both an Indian citizen and a foreigner, who is not an indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland, to obtain an ILP to enter the state of Nagaland for a limited period.

However, following the political crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh, various tribal bodies and civil society organizations in the state are demanding an extension of the ILP in the three districts to restrain the influx of illegal immigrants into the state.

The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) on September 4 had set a deadline of 14 days for the government to enforce ILP in the three districts while cautioning that any delay in enforcing these measures would be seen as a "failure" to protect the Naga people and an "abdication of the government's duty".