Guwahati: The Assam Police on Sunday said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA has been extended in four districts of the state for six more months.
At the Assam Police Day 2023 celebrations here, DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh said the 'disturbed area' tag, which allows enforcement of the AFSPA, has, however, been withdrawn from four other districts. "From today, only four districts in Assam will have AFSPA. These are Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo," he said.
Also read: Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for another 6 months
The AFSPA has been withdrawn from Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao with effect from October 1, Singh said. The Assam government had last extended the 'disturbed area' notification under the AFSPA for another six months with effect from April 1 in these eight districts.
The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant, besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the forces if they shoot someone dead.
The Armed Fores Special Power Act (AFSPA) has often been in the crosshairs for its provisions and is termed 'draconian' by civil societies and pressure groups in the Northeast. The government had often spoken in its defence citing law and order in restive parts of the region. It was extended in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for another six months.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued two separate notifications regarding the issue. The Centre said decisions have been taken after a review of the law and order situation in both states, which borders China and Myanmar and are infested with primarily underground activities of the Nagaland-based NSCN factions with cadres active in these two states.
The first gazette notification reads that the Central Government in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (28 of 1958) had declared eight districts and 21 Police Stations in five other districts of the state of Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from April 1, 2023.
