The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act will be withdrawn from the entire northeast next year, barring one or two states, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
Speaking at the signing of a tripartite MoU between the Centre, Assam and Nagaland to facilitate mineral oil operations in the border areas of Assam and Nagaland, Shah said the shrinking areas covered by the AFSPA are an indication of peace. “I am confident that with the exception of one or two states, we will withdraw AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year,” he said.
Stressing that the signing of the MoU was a “historic moment”, Shah said it removed the last hurdle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed Northeast region. The MoU aims to conduct oil and mineral exploration operations in the disputed belt of the region along the Assam-Nagaland border. Exploration activities have been stalled for more than three decades in the region due to differences in jurisdictions.
“This will open new vistas for mineral exploration in the northeast. The region not only contains oil and gas, but also contains huge mineral deposits, which cannot be explored due to law and order issues,” Shah said.
He added that with just one memorandum of understanding, the extraction capacity, which ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 barrels per day, could be increased 10 times. “In just one area, there are possibilities of recovering more than $15,000 Crores. “If we extract the oil reserves spread across Nagaland, we will be able to reduce dependence on foreign countries to meet our oil needs.”
Shah also said that since Narendra Modi took charge, he has continued his focus on the Northeast and has become the prime minister with the highest number of visits to the region. Shah said that since 2019, 12 agreements have been signed between various groups and state governments, which has led to a significant reduction of about 80% in violent incidents in the region.
“The development of Assam and Nagaland has remained hampered for a long time because no consensus was reached on a memorandum of understanding. The road inaugurated today will open doors for development for both states. It is the best example of cooperative federalism,” he said.
He added that the memorandum of understanding is expected to provide new impetus to India’s pursuit of self-reliance in the field of energy.
An Assam government statement said the agreement seeks to facilitate exploration and production activities across more than 1,000 square kilometers of land along the Assam-Nagaland border, an area believed to have significant energy and mineral reserves.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Shah, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Nagaland Chief Minister Nephiu Rio and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
CM Sarma said the region is expected to provide significant opportunities for hydrocarbon exploration and mineral extraction, contributing to meeting the country’s energy needs in the long term.
He said the agreement reflects the Modi government’s commitment to resolving complex and long-pending issues that have historically hampered development and resource use in the region.
Shah also described the agreement as an example of cooperative federalism and coordinated efforts between the Center and state governments to unlock the economic potential of the Northeast.
