New Delhi, Jun 11 (JKNS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) will be withdrawn from almost the entire Northeast by next year, barring one or two states, asserting that the shrinking footprint of the law reflects the significant improvement in the region’s security situation and return of peace.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre, Assam and Nagaland for facilitating mineral oil exploration in disputed border areas, as per news agency JKNS, Shah described the agreement as a historic development that would accelerate economic growth and regional development.
Shah said he was confident that AFSPA would be removed from most parts of the Northeast next year, adding that the reduction in areas under the Act was a key indicator of lasting peace and stability in the region.
Highlighting the significance of the Assam-Nagaland agreement, the Home Minister said the pact had removed a long-standing hurdle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed Northeast and would pave the way for large-scale exploration of oil, gas and mineral resources in the disputed area belt along the interstate border.
He noted that exploration activities in the region had remained stalled for over three decades due to jurisdictional disputes and law-and-order concerns.
Shah said the agreement would unlock new opportunities for mineral exploration and economic development, noting that the region possesses substantial oil, gas and mineral reserves that remained untapped for years.
The Home Minister further stated that a single oil field in the area has the potential for recovery worth more than ₹15,000 crore and said that harnessing oil deposits across Nagaland could help reduce India’s dependence on imported energy resources.
Referring to the Centre’s efforts in the Northeast, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently prioritised the region and has made the highest number of visits to the Northeast among all Prime Ministers.
He added that since 2019, the Centre has signed 12 peace accords with various groups and state governments, resulting in nearly an 80 per cent decline in violence-related incidents across the region.
Describing the MoU as a strong example of cooperative federalism, Shah said the agreement would open new avenues of development and prosperity for both Assam and Nagaland. (JKNS)
