Nagaland Seeks Relaxed PAP Rules to Protect Tourism

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has asked Union Home Minister Amit
Shah to urgently review the return of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) system in
the state. In a recent letter, he said the renewed PAP rules — brought back on
17 December 2024 for Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram due to security
concerns — are not needed in Nagaland and may hurt the state’s growing
tourism industry.
He said that, unlike Manipur and Mizoram, Nagaland has been peaceful
and has not faced any security problems or refugee inflow from across the
India–Myanmar border. The Chief Minister said the State Cabinet has discussed
the issue many times and has written to the Home Ministry several times since
January 2025, asking them to restore the earlier relaxed PAP rules. He also
mentioned that tourism groups, educational institutions, and civil society
organisations have shared similar worries.
Mr. Rio warned that the PAP restrictions could reduce the number of foreign
tourists, especially with the Hornbill Festival coming in December.
He requested new and relaxed PAP guidelines for Nagaland and assured
that the state will follow strict security measures so that tourism
growth does not affect national security.