ITANAGAR, Mar 27: The Congress party has said it strongly opposes the Centre’s move to relax the protected area permit (PAP) regime to enable foreign tourists to access border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
Drawing the governor’s attention to the matter, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) said relaxing PAP for foreign tourists would amount to compromising with the safety and security of the nation, and that spying could not be ruled out in such circumstances.
Protected by the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, Arunachal Pradesh is a very sensitive border state, often claimed by China. Further, under the Foreigners Protected Areas Order, 1958, all the areas falling between the inner line and the international border of the state have been declared as protected areas, applicable to entire Arunachal Pradesh and other sensitive border states, said the APCC in a representation addressed to the governor.
‘Even Indian citizens from the rest of the states are required to obtain ILP to enter the state,’ the party said, and sought the governor’s intervention to stop the move.
