Cabinet to decide on AFSPA’s future, says Chidambaram

ITANAGAR - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the Central Cabinet would decide the future of the Armed Forces (Special) Power Act (AFSPA).

Chidambaram, during an interaction with media said that the Union Home Ministry had already submitted its report on the matter to the Cabinet.

“Justice Jeevan Reddy has prepared a report in this regard with recommendations for replacing the existing law by a more humane law which was studied by the second administrative reform commission and forwarded to my ministry. I had submitted the report to the Cabinet with a note and the decision will be taken by the cabinet,” Chidambaram said.

The AFSPA is in force in some parts of northeastern states and in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to AFSPA, the Centre or a State Government can notify an area as disturbed, and invoke the Act, giving security forces the army, a central paramilitary force or even the police - wide-ranging powers.

Chidambaram declined to reveal details about deployment of additional forces in insurgency-hit Tirap and Changlang Districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

Commenting on continuation of subversive activities by both factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in Tirap and Changlang despite ceasefire agreement, Chidambaram said security forces would act if such activities would continue.

“Though ceasefire agreement applies only to those areas where NSCN operate, it does not mean that they can carry out militant activities,” he said.

Commenting over Chinas objection to Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan for implementing watershed project in Arunachal, Chidambaram said Centre would to decide whether to avail loan from ADB or World Bank (WB).

“The fund from the ADB or the WB would be in form of loan which will have to be repaid by India. We will see whether we need to take loan or not but it will be our concern that no projects suffer due to want of fund,” Chidambaram said. (ANI)