GANGTOK, 16 Oct: The Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP), headed by former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia, on Sunday demanded that the Himalayan state sharing borders with several countries be brought under the inner line permit (ILP) system to check influx of outsiders.
The ILP is an official document issued by the government to grant inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
The HSP, which held a convention on the issue during the day here, would request the state and the central governments to impose ILP in the northeastern state, Bhutia said.
“The party will embark on a yatra across the state to spread awareness about the ILP. We will continue to fight for the ILP until it is adopted in Sikkim,” he said.
Speakers at the convention said that ILP is necessary for the northeastern state as security issues are very high due to its sharing borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan. Besides, they said, the influx of a large number of outsiders is creating unemployment for the local people.
The participants also said that the Sikkim government should pass a resolution to implement ILP and send it to the Centre as the official demand of the state.
Of the eight states in the northeastern region, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are currently under the ILP regime. (PTI)
