Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is likely to be withdrawn from nearly the entire Northeast by next year. Shah pointed to the shrinking geographical scope of the law as a clear sign of improving stability and peace across the region. He stated, "I am confident that barring one or two states, we will withdraw AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year."
The announcement followed the signing of a tripartite agreement between the central government and the states of Assam and Nagaland. This memorandum of understanding aims to resume oil and mineral exploration in the Disputed Area Belt along the border. Operations in this zone had been stalled for over three decades due to long-standing security concerns and jurisdictional disagreements.
Shah described the agreement as a historic step toward realizing a developed Northeast, noting that the region holds significant untapped resources. He projected that oil extraction capacity in the area could increase tenfold, potentially helping to reduce India's reliance on foreign energy imports. The minister estimated that individual fields in the region contain recoverable resources valued at more than Rs 15,000 crore.
Attributing these gains to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah noted that twelve peace accords have been signed since 2019. These efforts have reportedly led to an 80 percent reduction in violent incidents across the region. The new agreement is expected to foster closer administrative cooperation and serve as a model for cooperative federalism between Assam and Nagaland.
Comments