Efforts on to remove AFSPA completely from NE: PM

Diphu (Assam), Apr 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said efforts are on to remove AFSPA completely from the north-east region.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Peace, Unity and Development Rally’ at Diphu in Karbi Anglong District today. During the programme, he also laid the foundation stone of various projects. Addressing a ‘Peace, Unity and Development’ rally here, he said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act could be withdrawn from various parts of the region as the law and order situation has improved in the last eight years. In a major outreach to the northeast region, the Centre had announced reduction of the disturbed areas imposed under the AFSPA in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur from April 1, after decades.

PM Modi also said the effect of the BJP’s “double engine” government is evident in the return of permanent peace and speedy development in Assam. The term “double engine” is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. The government has entered into peace agreements in Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Tripura, while efforts are on to ensure permanent peace and speedy development in the entire region, he said.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone for colleges of veterinary science and agriculture and a model government college in Karbi Anglong. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation six cancer hospitals in Assam at a function in Dibrugarh today. These cancer Hospitals are built at Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Darrang, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, and Jorhat. Dibrugarh Hospital was dedicated to nation by the Prime Minister earlier in the day when he visited the premises of the new hospital. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of seven new cancer hospitals at Dhubri, Nalbari, Goalpara, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Golaghat to be constructed under phase 2 of the project.