Nagaland Cabinet to Push for PAP Withdrawal, Focus on Tourism Boost

DIMAPUR: The Nagaland state government is set to request the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to withdraw the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreign nationals.

Official sources confirmed that the decision to seek relaxation of the travel restrictions was made during a state Cabinet meeting held on January 6. The proposal is aimed at promoting tourism in the state.

In December 2024, the MHA reinstated the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, in Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram after a 15-year hiatus.

The order mandates that foreign nationals visiting these states or others where the order applies must obtain a PAP which is  also known as a Restricted Area Permit from the MHA. 

The restriction had previously been relaxed during the UPA regime in 2010-11 to boost tourism but was reimposed last month due to security concerns.

The concerns were reportedly linked to political instability in neighboring Bangladesh, ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar and ethnic clashes in Manipur.

The Cabinet also deliberated on the Naga political issue and the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) proposed by the Centre for the eastern Nagaland region. According to sources, the Cabinet urged both the Centre and the negotiating Naga Political Groups to expedite reaching a peaceful resolution to the political issue.

On the FNT proposal, the Cabinet reaffirmed its support for the collective stance of the 20 legislators from eastern Nagaland, represented by the Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union (ENLU).

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