Plea against Inner Line Permit, SC notice to Centre, Manipur

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the Manipur government on a plea questioning validity of Inner Line Permit (ILP), which restricts entry of non-indigenous people into the state.

The petition, filed by organisation Amra Bangalee, argued that system was draconian, and fundamentally opposes policies of social integration, development, and technological advancement in the area outside the Inner Line.

It further argued that ILP hampers tourism within the state, which is a major source of revenue generation for these areas.

After hearing the plea, a bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari sought a response from the Union and Manipur government.

The petition said: "The effect of ILP system in the state of Manipur is that no person who is not a resident of the said state is permitted to enter the state or engage in business there without applying for a special permit known as Inner Line Permit."

It contended that the system violated fundamental rights of citizens guaranteed under the Constitution, while granting unqualified power to the state government to restrict the entry and exit of non-indigenous persons.

The plea contended that permit system was introduced by way of the Adaptation of Laws (Amendment) Order, 2019 (2019 order) which extends 140-year-old "colonial legislation" Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873 (BEFR), which was enacted by the British to create monopoly over the tea plantations in Assam.

The plea further added that by virtue of the 2019 order, the ILP system has effectively been made applicable to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and districts of Nagaland, which are notified from time to time.