Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately and completely withdraw the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime from the state, citing its adverse impact on tourism, investment, international engagements and the State’s wider developmental aspirations.
Rio raised the issue during a meeting with Shah on September 11, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton. In a post on X, Rio said they had called on the Union Home Minister to seek his intervention and support in fast-tracking Nagaland’s developmental aspirations.
In his appeal to Shah, Rio said the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had recently deliberated extensively on the PAP regime and unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Government of India to urgently review and withdraw it and restore the relaxation that had previously been in operation.
He said the resolution reflected the united position of the elected representatives across the House. The issue, he added, had also generated widespread concern among civil society organisations, tribal bodies, tourism stakeholders, entrepreneurs, the business community and youth.
State offers alternative monitoring mechanisms
Rio said the State Government had taken up the matter with the Centre on several occasions, while the State Cabinet had also resolved against the reimposition of the PAP regime and sought its early withdrawal.
The State Government, he said, remained willing to establish appropriate mechanisms, including technology-enabled systems, for the registration, regulation and monitoring of foreign visitors in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and other agencies.
“Nagaland today is amongst the most peaceful States in the country,” Rio said, pointing to the dividends of peace and stability from the ceasefire and ongoing peace process.
He said a new generation in Nagaland was increasingly aspiring towards education, entrepreneurship, tourism, sports, the creative economy, innovation and engagement with the wider world, making it important for the regulatory environment to evolve in line with these changes.
Tourism and international engagements affected
Rio highlighted tourism as an increasingly important pillar of Nagaland’s economy and a source of livelihood and employment, particularly for youth. The sector supports entrepreneurs, homestays, transport operators, artisans, musicians, artists, performers, farmers, food entrepreneurs and other service-sector stakeholders, he said.
He also highlighted the Hornbill Festival, describing it as one of the recognised flagship tourism events associated with the Incredible India campaign and a platform that attracts visitors from across India and abroad.
According to Rio, several countries have participated in the festival as Partner Countries, facilitating cultural exchanges, investment discussions, business engagements and institutional collaborations. However, he said the PAP regime was beginning to undermine these gains.
He recalled that in 2025, despite repeated requests from the State Government and representations from various sections of Naga society, relaxation of the PAP was granted only for the period coinciding with the Hornbill Festival.
While appreciating the Centre’s intervention, Rio said such limited relaxation offered little practical benefit to international tourism because foreign visitors generally plan journeys, purchase tickets, arrange accommodation and finalise itineraries weeks or months in advance.
“The impact extends far beyond tourism,” Rio said, adding that the PAP regime had also created difficulties in facilitating visits by diplomats, representatives of Partner Countries, investors, development agencies and international institutions.
He said the restrictions had complicated efforts to organise international festivals, investment meetings, cultural exchanges, sporting events and other programmes involving overseas participation.
Security concerns can be addressed
Rio said that at a time when States were being encouraged to attract investment, build international partnerships, promote tourism and contribute to India’s global outreach, the restrictions placed Nagaland at a disadvantage.
He argued that a regulation conceived in a different historical and security environment should not become an impediment to the developmental aspirations of a peaceful State.
The Chief Minister also referred to the Centre’s progressive reduction and withdrawal of extraordinary security measures in the Northeast, including the substantial reduction in areas covered by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, saying these developments had strengthened confidence, peace and normalcy.
Against this backdrop, he said the continued application of PAP in Nagaland was increasingly difficult for people to understand and risked creating frustration and a sense of alienation, particularly among youth.
Rio therefore sought Shah’s personal intervention and the favourable consideration of the Government of India for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the PAP regime from Nagaland.
He assured that the Nagaland Government would continue to work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs and other concerned agencies to establish any necessary registration, monitoring and security mechanisms while ensuring that national security considerations remained fully safeguarded.
He concluded by seeking a positive response to the unanimous appeal of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and what he described as the collective voice of the people of Nagaland.