Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) will be withdrawn from the entire Northeast next year, barring one or two states.
Speaking at an official function in New Delhi, Shah said the shrinking geographical area under AFSPA was an indicator of improving peace and stability in the region.
Speaking at the tripartite signing of MoU with Assam and Nagaland for oil exploration in New Delhi, Shah said the shrinking geographical area under AFSPA was an indicator of improving peace and stability in the region.
“I am confident that barring one or two states, we will withdraw AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year,” he reiterated.
The comments were made during an event described by Shah as a “historic moment”, where the Centre signed an MoU with Assam and Nagaland aimed at enabling oil and mineral exploration in the disputed area belt along the inter-state border.
The Home Minister said the agreement removes a long-standing bottleneck in resource exploration and forms part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed Northeast.
He also highlighted that the Northeast has become a key focus area of the government’s development and peace initiatives, linking economic development with improved security conditions.