The Tripura government on Wednesday lifted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the state with immediate effect, chief minister Manik Sarkar announced. The Act has been in force in the state since 1997. Sarkar told media that the decision was taken in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "Insurgency activities in the state are now reduced almost to zero. The demand for withdrawing the AFSPA has been persuaded at various levels, but we could not take a decision because the security forces did not clear it," Sarkar stated. The Act was promulgated in the state on February 16, 1997, due to relentless violence and bloodshed. As per the provisions of the Act, it was reviewed and extended every six months since then. The last six-month extension was in November last year and its term ends this month-end. "Recently, when the proposal of further extension of AFSPA came to the government, we sought report from all concerns about latest law and order situation in regard to extremists' presence and activities. Finally, the security agencies have agreed to the proposal of lifting the Act here," Sarkar added. "There is a qualitative change in the law and order situation and the development of the state is in take-off stage. Peace loving people don't want violence, rather insisted the government for development at par with rest of the country. So we also reviewed it and found that AFSPA need not to be extended anymore," Sarkar said.
