ILP in Manipur: Jiribam, Imphal issue most travel documents in three days

Three days after the Inner Line Permit system came into effect in Manipur, Jiribam town bordering Assam recorded the highest number of 326 permits given to applicants since January 1, closely followed by the airport here with a figure of 318, officials said on Friday.

ILP is an official travel document issued by the government to grant inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.

Manipur, the fourth state after Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, was brought under the ILP regime to protect the indigenous communities of the state after the Citizenship Act was amended by Parliament.

The authorities have set up seven ILP counters to issue permits to people seeking to visit Manipur for various purposes.

The counter at Jiribam registered 33, 66 and 227 permits in the three days respectively since January 1. At the airport, the figures for the past three days are 63, 140 and 115 respectively, they said.

The total number of permits issued at Mao town, which connects Manipur with Nagaland via NH-2, is 144 in the first two days, while the counter at the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh has given altogether eight permits to applicants on January 1 and 2.

The figures of the three other counters set up at Jessami in Ukhrul district which borders Nagaland, Behiang bordering Myanmar, and Singzawl in Churachandpur district are not available.

Following Union Home Minister Amit Shah's declaration that Manipur would be brought under ILP system, the state government published a gazette notification on December 31 in this regard.

Under the guidelines published in the notification, four types of permits would be issued, the officials said.

Regular Permits will be given for a period of six months to individuals who visit the state frequently.

Special Category Permits are to be issued by the Home Department to government contractors, investors, traders with business establishments in the state for 3 years subject to renewal.

Temporary Permits are meant for tourists, business representatives or those visiting the state for short duration and is initially issued for 15 days subject to renewal.

Labour Permits are meant for labourers brought by any contractors, firms or individuals engaging them for construction works.

However, members of the armed forces, their families and those of central corporations are to be exempted from the purview of the permit, the officials said.