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The Nagaland government on Tuesday extended inner line permit (ILP) regime in entire Dimapur district with immediate effect, bringing all the 11 districts of the state under the ILP system.

Dimapur district was hitherto not covered under ILP regulation.

“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, and in the interest of the public, Nagaland Governor extended the ILP to cover the entire Dimapur district with immediate effect,” chief secretary Temjen Toy said in a notification.

Toy said, “Henceforth, every non-indigenous person entering Dimapur will be required to obtain an ILP in the same mode and manner presently required for entering other ILP areas of Nagaland.”

“Every non-indigenous person who is settled or has entered the area of Dimapur district on or after November 21, 1979, will be required to obtain an ILP,” he said.

The notification said every non-indigenous person, who has settled or entered Dimapur before November 21, 1979, and has been staying continuously, will be exempted from the ILP.

“The direct descendants of these individuals will also be exempted from the ILP,” the notification added.

“These persons will have to produce evidence of their entry in the form of documents like name in the electoral roll, land/property documents, house tax, name in the electoral roll of the town committee, school records, trade licenses etc. to the Dimapur deputy commissioner.

The deputy commissioner on the basis of the submitted documents and after holding such inquiry which he thinks fit and necessary will certify that the person in question has been staying continuously from before November 21, 1979.

The person concerned on the strength of the certificate issued by the deputy commissioner will not be required to obtain ILP, the notification said.

It said the Dimapur deputy commissioner will set up suitable administrative structures and mechanisms for the purposes of streamlining and ensuring the completion of the whole process of issuance of ILP and certificates in a time-bound manner.

Any non-indigenous person passing through Dimapur district to other states as a transit passenger and having a valid ticket will not be required to obtain ILP.

The Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI), comprising civil society groups of Nagaland, has been spearheading a movement to bring Dimapur district under the purview of ILP.

On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared in Lok Sabha that Manipur would be brought under the ILP regime. He made the announcement while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha for its passage.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]