Afspa lifted from Dibrugarh, only 3 Assam districts remain under it

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been withdrawn from Assam's Dibrugarh district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Sarma said it is now in force in only three districts of the state.

The law empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without a prior warrant. It also gives a certain level of immunity to the security forces if an operation goes wrong.

"We had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to lift the disturbed areas tag from Dibrugarh as we are planning to develop it as the second capital of the state," Sarma said.

He heard our request and a notification has been issued by the Centre in this regard, he said.

"AFSPA will now be in force in Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo districts," the CM said.

"The AFSPA has been withdrawn from 32 districts of the state and we hope that it will be soon withdrawn from the remaining three districts as well," he added.

The state was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA on the intervening night of November 27-28, 1990, in the wake of violence by ULFA, and it has been extended every six months since then on the recommendation of the state government.

After Sarma assumed office in 2021, AFSPA is being gradually withdrawn.