Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to urgently review the re-imposition of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime in the state.

In a recent letter, Rio said that the renewed PAP restrictions, which was re-imposed from 17 December 2024 for Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram over security concerns, are unnecessary for Nagaland and could harm its growing tourism sector.

He said, unlike Manipur and Mizoram, Nagaland has remained peaceful with no security issues or refugee influx along the India-Myanmar border.

The Chief Minister warned that PAP restrictions could adversely affect foreign tourist arrivals, especially ahead of the Hornbill Festival in December.

Rio appealed for new, relaxed PAP guidelines for Nagaland, assuring that the state will maintain strict security protocols to ensure tourism growth does not compromise national security.