The Nagaland government will appeal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to exclude the state from the Protected Area Permit regime, state Environment Minister CL John was quoted as saying by PTI on Tuesday.

Under the Protected Area Permit regime, foreigners need a permit to visit specific parts of India, including areas in the North East.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held at Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s residential complex on Monday, the minister told the news agency.

“During the Cabinet meeting, a thorough deliberation was made over the PAP regime,” John said. “The council of ministers observed that the state peacefully celebrated the Hornbill Festival from December 1 to 10 last year with more than 2,000 foreigners attending the event. The cabinet decided to appeal to the Centre to revoke the PAP system in Nagaland.”

In December, the Hornbill Festival, held at the Naga heritage village of Kisama about 12 km south of the state capital Kohima, drew 2,05,968 visitors including 2,527 foreigners.

The Protected Area Permit was introduced in the 1960s as a security measure due to the region’s strategic and geopolitical sensitivities. It was lifted in Nagaland in December 2021, allowing easier access for foreign visitors.

However, in December, the Ministry of Home Affairs reinstated the Protected Area Permit regime in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.