Mizoram: Over 4,000 ILPs issued since Bairabi-Sairang Railway launch

Aizawl: Mizoram police reported on Thursday that authorities have issued at least 4,102 Inner Line Permits (ILPs) to non-tribal visitors at various railway stations along the Bairabi–Sairang railway line since its inauguration on September 13.

Officials noted a significant decline of 30 to 40 percent in the number of ILPs issued to road travelers at the Vairengte check gate in Kolasib district, as well as in the number of maxicabs operating between Mizoram and neighboring states, following the launch of train services.

Home Minister K. Sapdanga chaired a meeting on Thursday to review the issuance of ILPs and assess the impacts brought by the new railway line.

The Inner Line Permit serves as an official travel document under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, requiring non-resident Indian citizens, especially non-tribal individuals, to obtain permission before entering protected areas like Mizoram.

Additional SP Lalringliana Pachuau shared that authorities have issued 4,064 ILPs from four counters at Sairang railway station near Aizawl since the railway line opened.

Fourteen policemen are currently deployed at these counters to oversee the process.

Police have apprehended at least four beggars and four other individuals who traveled by train without valid ILPs, subsequently sending them back to their native states.

In Kolasib district, SP David H. Lalthangliana confirmed that officials have issued 38 ILPs at four railway stations since launching the Bairabi–Sairang railway line.

He also acknowledged the 30 to 40 percent decrease in ILP issuance at the Vairengte check gate and the reduction in maxicab services following the introduction of train routes connecting Aizawl (Sairang) to Delhi, Kolkata, and Guwahati.

Meanwhile, the state’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), expressed concern about the relatively low number of ILPs issued compared to the volume of visitors arriving by train.

MZP President C. Lalremruata said the student organization inspected Sairang railway station on Thursday and observed that the number of ILPs issued did not align with the number of visitors, raising fears of illegal influx.

He alleged that several outsiders traveling by train have sneaked out of the railway station without obtaining ILPs.

During their inspection, student leaders detained approximately 30 individuals attempting to leave without permits.

Lalremruata further explained that many non-tribals entering on tourist permits hide and settle in the state because authorities lack mechanisms to monitor their exit.

The MZP also voiced concerns about manpower shortages at ILP counters, the absence of fencing around the railway station, and the lack of excise officials to prevent illegal alcohol imports into the dry state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the Bairabi–Sairang railway line on September 13 and simultaneously flagged off Mizoram’s first Rajdhani Express connecting Delhi, as well as two other trains linking Aizawl with Kolkata and Guwahati.