The Nagaland cabinet talks about the demand of the Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority, opposes the reinstatement of the Protected Area Regime, and intends to handle the Naga political issue at its upcoming meeting.
KOHIMA: The Nagaland cabinet decided to resist the Union Home Ministry’s intention to restore the Protected Area Regime in the state during its first meeting of the year today.
The cabinet discussed the Union Home Ministry’s decision to reinstate the Protected Area Permit (PAP) in Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram while meeting at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima.
It has made the decision to write to the Union Home Ministry to request that the PAP not be allowed to return to Nagaland. The decision was reached in view of the state’s tranquil law and order condition and the absence of any illegal immigration inflow, according to a senior cabinet member.
The government has also assigned the Eastern Nagaland Legislature’s Union the responsibility of arranging a conference with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization in order to discuss the need for a Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority.
The meeting is expected to take place prior to the second tripartite discussion, which is scheduled for January 15. The cabinet has also agreed to discuss the Naga political issue at its upcoming meeting.
In the meantime, the state administration of Nagaland plans to ask the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to revoke foreign nationals’ Protected Area Permits (PAPs).
According to official sources, on January 6, the state Cabinet decided to request a relaxation of the travel restrictions. The goal of the idea is to increase state tourism.
The MHA restored the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958 in Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram in December 2024, following a 15-year break.
