The Central government on Friday decided to extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh for six months starting today. According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the AFSPA will be applicable in Tirap, Changlang, and Longding from October 1 to March 30, 2023.
The development comes after reviewing the security situation of these three districts and are further declared as 'disturbed areas'. The law authorises the armed forces to use whatever means deemed required to maintain public order.
Issuing a new notification on Friday, the Ministry said, "Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam, are declared as 'disturbed area' under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2022, unless withdrawn earlier."
Earlier this year in March, the Union government declared that it was reducing the areas under the AFSPA in Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur.
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