The central government is in talks with Nagaland government over the proposal to extend Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to Dimapur.
“The proposal of the state government to extend Inner Line Permit system to Dimapur is under discussion with the state government,” said the union minister of state for home, G Kishan Reddy.
“Something could be said only when a decision is taken in this regard,” added union minister Reddy.
Also read: SC dismisses PIL challenging law which allows ILP in Nagaland
Union minister Reddy also said the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is governed by Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations (BEFR), 187.
“As per these regulations, Indian citizens require Inner Line Permit to visit states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, excluding Dimapur district,” said Reddy.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL challenging a law that empowers states like Nagaland to make it mandatory to have ILP for entry of people from outside the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose said, “We are not inclined to entertain this matter.”
The petition was filed by advocate and BJP member Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The petitioner viewed that such law giving unbridled power to states to restrict the movement of citizens within the state was “arbitrary, unreasonable and offends Article 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution”.