Gangtok, Aug 18 (IANS) The Sikkim government is preparing to introduce an integrated online system for issuing Restricted Area Permits (RAP) and Protected Area Permits (PAP), aimed at improving transparency, curbing revenue leakages and regulating tourist movement in designated areas, officials said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a stakeholders’ consultation on the proposed system, organised by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department under the Sikkim INSPIRES initiative. The consultation brought together tour operators, drivers’ associations, police officials and other stakeholders.

Tourism Department Chairman Tenzing Norgay Lachungpa and senior official Raj Yadav explained the proposed framework and sought feedback before its implementation. Under the system, online permits would be issued only for destinations covered under the RAP and PAP regime. A geo-fencing mechanism is proposed to ensure that only eligible Sikkim-based tour operators and drivers can generate permits.

Officials said permits would be non-transferable and could not be sold, while payments would be made digitally. The government has also invited local youth to submit tourism-related business proposals. The department said the system would follow a “quality over quantity” approach, focusing on protecting high-value tourist destinations. Yumthang Valley was cited as an example where regulated tourist access and destination-specific revenue could contribute towards conservation and infrastructure development.

Revenue collected from individual tourist destinations would be ring-fenced and reinvested in developing and maintaining those locations, officials said.

Yadav highlighted discrepancies in revenue collection figures from 2025 and said leakages had resulted in significant losses.

He added that the proposed online, AI-integrated system would enable real-time monitoring and reduce gaps associated with manual permit issuance at checkpoints.

The consultation also discussed eligibility criteria. Only Sikkimese drivers and Sikkim-registered tour operators would be allowed to operate RAP/PAP tours. Vehicles registered outside the state would not be permitted on designated routes. The geo-fencing system would operate from Rangpo, the entry point from West Bengal.

Officials said they would extend the proposed one-hour permit validity to two hours after hearing stakeholder concerns. Police and Army personnel would not have authority to issue permits directly. The Home Department would handle special cases.

Officials assured stakeholders that they would incorporate adequate safeguards to protect personal data and prevent information leaks.

–IANS

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