New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Manipur government eight weeks to respond to a plea challenging the state’s Inner Line Permit (ILP) system.
The ILP regime, currently in effect in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur, mandates that outsiders, including Indian citizens from other states, require special permission to enter these regions.
A bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti allowed the state government’s request for additional time to prepare its response. The plea, filed by the organization ‘Amra Bangalee’, contends that the ILP system is overly restrictive, hindering social integration, economic development, and tourism in the state.
The organization argues that the ILP guidelines, particularly the 2019 amendment, violate fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, including the rights to equality, non-discrimination, freedom of movement, and life and personal liberty. The plea seeks the court’s intervention to declare the ILP system unconstitutional and to strike down the 2019 guidelines.
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