Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], March 31 (ANI): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for reducing the overall impact of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in most areas of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

"We welcome the move (of reduction in areas under AFSPA) taken by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. It has been a long-pending issue for the people of the North-East region as a whole and will surely lead to a positive message to the people of the region," said the Meghalaya Chief Minister.

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Sangma said that this is another reflection of the concerns that PM Modi and Amit Shah have for the people of the North-East.

"We have been always stressing that AFSPA is an act gone beyond its time and is something that is not really achieving the objective it was meant to," said Sangma.

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"Given the current circumstances in the region, this act should be repealed completely but this is a welcome step; areas have been reduced I would like to thank PM Modi and Amit Shah for reducing the overall impact of AFSPA in a large number of areas in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland," he added.

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Central government has decided to reduce disturbed areas under the AFSPA in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades.

Meanwhile, officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that the Centre's decision will considerably reduce areas under AFSPA with effect from April 1. However, the officials also made it clear that AFSPA has not been completely removed.

Disturbed area notification is in force in the whole of Assam since 1990. With the step, the officials said, 23 districts of Assam are now being removed completely and one district partially from the effect of AFSPA with effect from April 1.

The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. In 2005, the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee had recommended the repeal of AFSPA and suggested an amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 by inserting a new Chapter with respect to the North-Eastern states. (ANI)

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