ILP enforced in Manipur, Dimapur

Inner Line Permit (ILP) system came into force in Manipur from Wednesday, while neighbouring Nagaland government has decided to extend the same to Dimapur district, the state's commercial hub.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh told reporters in Imphal that a gazette notification about the enforcement was issued by the Centre, following Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement to have ILP in the state, on Monday.

"With such publication in the Gazette of India, it is now official that ILPS is being enforced in Manipur with immediate effect. Implementation of ILP will protect the indigenous people of the state," a statement quoting Singh said.

He said that necessary steps would be immediately taken to check the influx of illegal immigrants at the border areas of the state.

Shah on Monday announced that the states having ILP and the areas under autonomous councils set up under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution would be exempted from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Most parts of the Northeast are seething against the bill as indigenous people fear that it would reduce them to minorities and endanger their ethnic identity.

People from rest of the country are required to have travel permit under the ILP system. The ILP was introduced under the Bengal Frontier Regulation Act 1873, which was allowed to continue in 1950.

At present, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland have ILP system, which can be availed online or offline by submitting identity details and clearly mentioning travel dates and purpose of visit.

Initially, ILP is issued for a week.

Nagaland government said that all "non-indigenous people" who settled or entered Dimapur district on or after November 21, 1979, the day when Dimapur was declared a tribal belt, will be required to obtain ILP within 90 days.

Those, who settled prior to the date, however, will have to submit documents for an exemption. Dimapur has mixed population.

Assam at present has three autonomous councils covering at least seven districts, three in Meghalaya, covering more than 90% area while Tripura has one, covering parts of the state.

This means CAB will be practically applicable in Assam (27 districts), parts of Shillong (Meghalaya) and about 50% area in Tripura.