New Delhi, June 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is expected to be withdrawn from nearly the entire Northeastern region by next year, with only one or two states likely to remain under its ambit. He said the development reflects the return of lasting peace and normalcy in the region.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Central Government and the governments of Assam and Nagaland for facilitating oil and mineral exploration in disputed border areas, Shah said the gradual reduction in AFSPA coverage demonstrates the remarkable improvement in the security situation across the Northeast.
The Home Minister described the Assam-Nagaland agreement as a landmark achievement, stating that it would open the doors to economic progress and boost development initiatives in the region.
Expressing optimism over the prevailing atmosphere of peace, Shah said the government remains committed to further reducing the footprint of AFSPA and is confident that the law would be lifted from most Northeastern states in the coming year.
Underscoring the importance of the agreement, Shah said it had removed a major impediment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming the Northeast into a hub of growth and opportunity. He added that the pact would facilitate large-scale exploration of oil, natural gas and mineral reserves situated in the disputed interstate belt.
He noted that resource exploration in these areas had remained stalled for over 30 years due to border disputes and law-and-order challenges, preventing the region from fully benefiting from its natural wealth.
Shah said the understanding would unlock vast opportunities for investment, employment and economic expansion by tapping into resources that had remained untapped for decades.
The Home Minister further stated that a single oil field in the identified area possesses recoverable reserves worth more than ₹15,000 crore. He added that effective utilisation of Nagaland’s energy resources could play a vital role in reducing India’s dependence on imported fuel.
Highlighting the Centre’s engagement with the Northeast, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently prioritised the region and has undertaken more visits there than any of his predecessors.
He said that since 2019, the Union Government has signed 12 peace accords with different groups and state administrations, resulting in nearly an 80 per cent decline in violence-related incidents in the Northeast.
Describing the MoU as a true reflection of cooperative federalism, Shah said the agreement would usher in a new era of development, prosperity and shared progress for the people of Assam and Nagaland. (KNC)
