AFSPA to be completely lifted from Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 15 said that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be completely lifted from the state.

Speaking at the celebrations being held at the Khanapara Playground here, Sarma said, "In Assam, the AFSPA has been scrapped from many districts already. The law and order situation of the state has improved largely and soon the Act will be completely lifted from the entire Assam.”

The chief minister also asserted that there will be massive administrative reforms in the state within one month.

While addressing a gathering at Khanapara Veterinary Field, CM Sarma said, “Sub-districts will be formed in each constituency. All the important departments will be within these sub-districts”

Also Read: Assam to create sub-districts in all assembly constituencies: Himanta Biswa Sarma

"There will be one additional deputy commissioner in each sub-district," he added.

Earlier in March this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government of India has decided to decrease the jurisdiction of “disturbed areas” declared under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Assam.

With this, the Government of Assam in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (Act 28 of 1958) had declared the areas covering 8 (Eight) districts and 1 (One) Subdivision namely- Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Lakhipur Sub Division of Cachar district of the State of Assam as "Disturbed Area" vide notification No. HMA- 19015/9/2019-Political (A)/Pt.(1)/20, dated 15/10/2022 with effect from 01/10/2022 for a further period of 6 (six) months.

The Disturbed Areas Notification is in force since 1990 in the whole of Assam. As a result of significant improvement in the security situation due to the untiring efforts of the Modi government, the disturbed areas under AFSPA were removed from the entire state of Assam except for 9 districts and one sub-division of one district from 01.04.2022 and 01.04.2023, it has been reduced to only 8 districts while reducing further in disturbed areas.