28.5.15

Tripura government withdraws AFSPA

The Tripura cabinet withdrew the AFSPA act in a meeting on Wednesday .
The present six-month term of the Act will expire this expire this month. The Tripura government had withdrawn the eighteen-year-old AFSPA from the state with immediate effect, said chief minister Manik Sarkar. “Insurgency has come down to near zero in the state.The demand for withdrawing AFSPA had been made at various levels. But we could not take the final decision as the security forces did not give the final go ahead,“ the CM added.
AFSPA was promulgated in the state on February 16, 1997, owing to the relentless violence and bloodshed during the period. Following the provisions of the Act, it was reviewed and extended every six months for the past 18 years.“Recently , when the proposal of further extension of AFSPA came up for discussion to the state government, we sought report from all concerned departmentsabout the law and order and the militant's movement and activities. Finally, the security agencies have agreed to the proposal of withdrawing the Act,“ the CM said.
Initially , AFSPA was imposed across two-thirds of the police station areas in the state but gradually its extent was reduced with improving situation. At present, AFSPA is operational fully in 26 police station areas and partially in four police station areas out of 74 police stations and 36 outposts of Tripura. “There has been a qualitative change in the law and order and the state is witnessing development. We reviewed and found out that AFSPA need not be extended further,“ he added.

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