The Centre has called off The Armed Forces Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya since April 1, a senior Home Ministry official on Monday. Earlier the AFSPA was effective in 20 km area along the Assam-Meghalaya border.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the deploy of AFSPA was going down to eight police stations substitute of 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and Changlang districts bordering Assam.
The Ministry has also relaxed the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland. The PAP will be in the run for five years, but residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China will not be entered to visit these areas.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is in critical effect in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. As per Section 3 of the AFSPA, it can be invoked in places “where the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary.”
The AFSPA gives strength to the army and central forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone violating in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without Centre’s sanction.
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The Centre was constantly suffering issues such notifications for Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
Tripura withdrew AFSPA in 2015. Last year, the Home Ministry gave up its power and asked the Assam government to take a decision on continuing AFSPA in the State.
On March 20, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, MoS Home, informed the Lok Sabha that Centre was considering a proposal to escalate AFSPA more “operationally effective and humane.”
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