By Our Staff Reporter
Chamoli, 15 Apr: A significant meeting was convened under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari here to deliberate upon issuing the Inner Line Permits (ILP) to visit border areas. During the meeting, it was conveyed that two types of passes are issued, one being a local transit pass which would be valid for over two days. This would be primarily issued to cater to the needs of local shepherds. The second type of pass is called Inner Line Permit which is designed for travellers. This pass permits a two-day visit to 16 designated tourist locations accessible through Niti Pass, Mana Pass, and Rimkhim Pass.
It was also made clear during the meeting that the online portal for obtaining the ILP will be operational only during the Char Dham Yatra season. The fee for the permit has been fixed at Rs 200 per person, and a maximum of 35 permits will be issued daily. Essential documents required for the permit include a police verification report, identity card, affidavit, and medical examination report. For travellers above the age of 60, a medical report has also been made mandatory for obtaining the ILP.
The DM also made it clear that the permit must explicitly state conditions such as potential cancellation due to adverse weather or security concerns, even after issue. Registrations can be made online via the official site, https://pass.chamoli.org/.
It may be recalled that the Inner Line Permit is an official travel document issued by the state government, enabling Indian citizens to travel to protected areas for a specific duration. Historically, it served to safeguard British interests by regulating interactions between hill tribes and British-protected areas. An imaginary boundary, termed the “Inner Line” had been established under this Act to demarcate regions and restrict movement across them without official permission. The implementation of the ILP continues to uphold its original intent of protecting the cultural identity of tribal populations while at the same time promoting regulated tourism in sensitive border regions.
