SHILLONG — Mizoram issued 2,15,946 Inner Line Permits (ILPs) between September 2025 and July 2026, after the Bairabi-Sairang railway line opened in September last year.
Home Minister K. Sapdanga told the Mizoram Assembly that the state issued 4,94,033 ILPs between 2024 and July 2026. The permits are required for people from outside Mizoram entering the state, with certain exemptions. The 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway line completed one year on September 13. Railway data showed more than 15 lakh passenger movements on trains in Mizoram during the first year.
Sairang railway station recorded more than five lakh passenger movements during the period. Train services now connect Mizoram with Guwahati, Kolkata and Delhi. More than 2,500 freight wagons also reached the state carrying essential goods, vehicles and construction material.
The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has now demanded ILP checking at every entry point and verification of people entering the state.
The student organisation adopted the demand at its general assembly along with resolutions seeking stronger protection of Mizoram’s boundaries. It also raised the implementation of provisions linked to Mizo identity and Scheduled Tribe benefits.
MZP general secretary Lalhmingsanga Chhangte said the organisation would push for verification at entry points.
The Mizoram government approved revised 2026 ILP guidelines in May after civil society groups raised concerns over violations and enforcement.Sapdanga’s Assembly reply also showed that 934 people were apprehended this year for entering Mizoram without valid ILPs or travel permits.
Another 13,730 non-tribal people from outside Mizoram were recorded as living and working in the state with valid permits, according to the minister.
The MZP has also demanded a study on the possible impact of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project on Mizoram and its people.
The demands come as the state has gained a new railway connection and passenger movement has increased sharply over the past year.
