India News | AFSPA Removed from Most Parts of Northeast: Govt
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces operating in disturbed areas to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary, has been removed from most parts of the northeast, except a few districts and some police station areas, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces operating in disturbed areas to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary, has been removed from most parts of the northeast, except a few districts and some police station areas, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said there has been a considerable reduction in the number of "disturbed areas" under the AFSPA and the law has been withdrawn completely from Tripura (from May 27, 2015) and Meghalaya (April 1, 2018).
The AFSPA has also been withdrawn from all districts except four in Assam, he said.
Rai said the AFSPA has been withdrawn gradually in Arunachal Pradesh and it is currently applicable only in three police station areas in Namsai district and three other districts -- Tirap, Changlang and Longding.
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In Manipur, the law has been withdrawn from 19 police station areas in seven districts and in Nagaland, it has been withdrawn partly and is now applicable only in eight districts and 21 police station areas in five other districts, the minister said.
"The security situation in the northeastern states has seen significant improvement since 2014. Compared to 2014, there has been 71 per cent reduction in insurgency incidents, 60 per cent decrease in the number of security forces personnel deaths and 82 per cent decrease in civilian fatalities in 2023," Rai said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)