PROTECTED AREA PERMIT (PAP)

1. Guidelines/Instructions of Ministry of Home Affairs regarding grant of Protected Area Permit (PAP) to foreign nationals visiting Manipur.

i)     The entire State of Manipur is under the protected area regime under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.

ii)    As per paragraph 3 of the aforesaid Order, no foreigner shall enter into or remain in any protected area except under and in accordance with a permit issued by the Central Government or any Officer authorized by the Central Government in this behalf. The PAP permit issued under Paragraph 3 shall be in the form specified in Schedule-II (annexed to the Order, 1958) and shall contain the following particulars: -

a) the place of entry into the protected area,

b) the place of residence, if any, in the protected area,

c) the period for which the permit shall be valid,

d) the conditions subject to which the permission is granted.

The conditions, if any are to be specified by the issuing authority.

iii)       The competent authorities to issue PAP include MHA, FRROs at Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta, Chief Immigration Officer, Chennai, all Indian Missions abroad and Home Commissioner, Manipur. Resident Commissioner, New Delhi is also competent to issue PAP to those foreigners visiting Manipur in connection with World Bank and UN aided projects and projects sponsored by the Govt. of India or State Government. Permits are granted in pre-determined formats giving all details and DO’s and DONT’s for the tourists and various concerned agencies.

iv)  At present, the following places are open to the foreigners:

(1) Loktak Lake, (2) Imphal, (3) Moirang INA Memorial, (4) Keibul Lamjao Deer sanctuary, (5) Waithou Lake and (6i) Khongjom War Memorial.

The following additional places are also open to foreign group tourists:

(a) Imphal-Bishnupur-Phubala-Moirang-Sendra- Keibul Lamjao-Imphal;

(b) Imphal- Moirang Lake-Keibul Lamjao-Churachandpur-Khuga-Imphal;

(c) Imphal-Litan-Ukhrul-Shiroy-Sangsak-Imphal;

(d) Imphal-Thoubal-Waithou Lake-Khongjom-Kakching-Thongjao-Waikhong-Sugnu-Imphal;

(e) Imphal-Khonghampat-Kanglatongbi-Kangpokpi-Senapati-Karong-Mao Gate-Imphal;

(f) Imphal-Noneh-Khongsang-Nungba-Jiribam-Imphal.

(v) The visit to the aforesaid open places by foreign nationals are further subjected to the following conditions:

a) Foreigners are permitted to visit open areas only in groups of four or more. However, in case of married couples, groups may consist of two persons;

b) Period of stay in open places will be up to a maximum of 10 days;

c) Foreigners associated with the Government projects are given permits for full period of work;
 

     At present foreigners are required to be travel by air from Delhi/Calcutta/Guwahati to Imphal. Foreign tourists are also allowed to enter by road along with NH-39 and NH-53. The circuit to be followed is

DIMAPUR-KOHIMA-IMPHAL-JIRIBAM-SILCHAR.

vi) State Home Department has issued a Notification dated 8/09/2000 thereby requiring foreign nationals who are visiting Manipur to apply in the prescribed application forms to the State Home Department, RC/Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi, DRC/Kolkata and DRC/Guwahati at least 4(four) weeks before their proposed visit.

vii) Permission will be granted for specified tour circuits as identified with definite entry and exit points and a specified mode of transport.

viii) State Government is required to ensure that travel agencies/tour operators/Guest Houses/Hotels etc. observe the conditions as laid down under the permits and concerned Acts/Rules scrupulously. Guest Houses/Hotels are required to ensure that foreigners with valid PAP only stay with them. They must inform the local police about the arrival/departure of foreigners within 24 hours. It is mandatory on the part of the residents of tourist places to inform the police if any foreigners stay with them even in their houses. Responsibility will be with the host keeping the foreigner. Any defaulters in this regard are liable to take action under the provisions of Foreigners Act, 1946 and Foreigners Order, 1948.

2. These guidelines/instructions shall be complied strictly with by all concerned who apply for grant of PAP to foreign nationals visiting Manipur State. It is made very clear that any request for grant of PAP shall not be entertained until and unless all these required formalities as prescribed by MHA are observed.

3. It is, therefore, requested that whenever any proposal for grant of PAP is submitted to Home department, all these required formalities should be completed in all respect and Home department should not be insisted upon to issue PAP without completing the aforesaid formalities/guidelines of MHA.