PORT BLAIR: The historic Viper Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been approved for inclusion in the list of islands open for day visits by foreign tourists.
The Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, under which foreign tourists had to obtain a permit from the competent authority, has been relaxed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from June 29, 2018.
Foreign tourists now do not require a RAP to visit 29 islands in the Union Territory.
Inclusion of Viper Island in the list of Islands to be opened for tourists was a long-pending demand. Viper Island houses the infamous gallows built by the British, in which many freedom fighters were hanged to death. It also had the first jail in Andaman Penal Settlement, which was abandoned when the Cellular Jail was constructed in 1906.