Itanagar, May 14:
The Arunachal Pradesh government has announced a series of major reforms to strengthen the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state, with a strong focus on curbing illegal immigration and preventing misuse of permits.
Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said the government has taken several important decisions regarding the ILP system, which has become a major issue of concern across the state in recent times.
Sona stated that the government is serious about checking the entry of illegal immigrants and unauthorised individuals into Arunachal Pradesh. He informed that the Cabinet has approved key reforms under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, aimed at bringing greater transparency, accountability, and technological monitoring into the ILP mechanism.
One of the major decisions includes the complete digitisation of the ILP system. The minister said ILPs will no longer be issued manually as was done earlier. Instead, the entire process will be shifted to a digital platform to reduce manipulation and ensure better monitoring of permit holders.
He further informed that QR code-based verification systems will be introduced at all check gates across the state to eliminate fake and unauthorised ILPs. The permits will also be linked with Aadhaar-based authentication to strengthen identity verification.
According to the Cabinet decisions, mandatory police verification will be required for work-related Inner Line Permits, while strict sponsor accountability norms will also be implemented to ensure complete transparency in bringing labourers and workers into the state.
The minister also informed that district-level task forces will be constituted to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of the ILP system across Arunachal Pradesh. He added that Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) will conduct surprise inspections at check gates to ensure strict implementation of the new regulations and to detect illegal entry or misuse of permits.
The government has also decided to enhance penalties for ILP violations. Individuals found overstaying beyond the validity period of their permits without obtaining an extension may face stricter punitive action, including restrictions on future ILP issuance for up to two years.
In addition, local sponsors or guardians found violating ILP regulations while bringing labourers into the state will face a fine of ₹5,000 and may be barred from bringing any workforce into Arunachal Pradesh for a period of one year.
The minister said the reforms are intended to make the ILP system more effective, transparent, and technologically equipped to safeguard the interests of indigenous people and strengthen regulation of entry into the state.
