Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday that his administration is thinking of removing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA) from two more areas after recently doing so in the West Karbi Anglong district.
He made this statement while awarding money to militant group members who had turned themselves in at a Guwahati event hosted at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakhetra.
CM Sarma said, “Peace has returned to Assam and the Northeast. Currently, AFSPA is no longer in effect in 65% of the state. We may eventually withdraw it from the entire Karbi Anglong district, including Lakhipur of Cachar.”
The controversial law was previously removed by the government from the West Karbi Anglong area because things there had “considerably improved.”
The AFSPA was extended for additional six months from October 1 with the continuation of ‘Disturbed Area’ tag for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts along with Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar.
The CM stated that after the AFSPA is repealed in two more districts, only six districts will be covered by the law.