Guwahati: The Assam government has announced the extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in four districts for an additional six months, effective from April 1.
According to a notification from the state’s political department, the ‘Disturbed Area’ designation under the AFSPA will persist in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar districts.
The decision came after the Assam Police submitted a report indicating an improvement in the overall law and order situation in the state, except for the presence of one active militant organization in the aforementioned districts.
Following this, the state government’s home and political department forwarded a proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which, upon review, opted to maintain the ‘status quo’ regarding the ‘disturbed area’ for another six-month period.
Consequently, the Assam government complied with the directive from the Centre, extending the Act until September 30, 2024.
The AFSPA grants security forces the authority to conduct operations and make arrests without prior warrants, while also providing a degree of legal immunity in cases of unintended operations.
The Act’s previous extension was on October 1, 2023, for six months, terminating on March 31. During the last extension, AFSPA was lifted from the Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts.
Earlier, the Act was withdrawn from the entire state of Assam, except for nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district, starting from April 1, 2022.
Since November 1990, Assam has been under the ‘disturbed area’ classification under AFSPA.
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