Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, March 27, announced that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has lifted certain provisions of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Dibrugarh district. However, the AFSPA will remain in effect in the districts of Tinsukia, Sibsagar, and Charaideo.
“This is a major win for Assam’s peace efforts. The decision to remove AFSPA from Dibrugarh will go a long way in establishing the city as Assam’s second capital. With this, just three districts in Assam are now covered under AFSPA,” the CM told reporters.
Recently, the Assam government decided to elevate Dibrugarh town, a key hub for the state’s tea industry, to the status of the second capital of Assam, following Dispur. Sarma emphasized that the removal of AFSPA in Dibrugarh would benefit the district.
The AFSPA was first implemented in Assam in 1990 during the peak of insurgent activity by ULFA. Since then, the law has been periodically extended every six months, with some areas being excluded after reviews of the law and order situation.
The AFSPA is a law enacted by the Parliament of India that authorizes the Indian Armed Forces to exercise special powers to maintain public order in areas designated as “disturbed.”
