Diphu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the scope of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been reduced in many areas of the Northeast region for permanent peace.

"During the last eight years, we have removed AFSPA from many areas of the Northeast for permanent peace and better law and order situation," he said at a rally in Assam.

The AFSPA which gives security forces sweeping powers of arrest and detention and provides them with immunity from prosecution in civil courts, is a contentious law that has often sparked demands for its scrapping.

Modi also asserted that the solution to border-related issues like Assam and Meghalaya is being worked out.

The Prime Minister hailed the Bodo Accord, saying it has brought "long-lasting peace" to Assam.

The tripartite Bodo Accord 2020 was signed between the Centre, the Assam government, and Bodo groups.

"Last year, several organisations from Karbi Anglong joined the resolve for peace and development. The Bodo Accord opened new doors for lasting peace in 2020," the PM said.

He also lauded the double-engine government for the development of the northeast region saying that people who visit here also feel proud.

"Today when someone visits the Northeast and witnesses the rapid development taking place in the region, they also feel proud. We have understood the problems of the region," Modi said.

Heaping praises on PM Modi for inking the Karbi Accord, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The Karbi community considers hard work as their dharma. The signing of the Karbi Accord that took place under the leadership of PM Modi has established peace and ensured fast-paced growth in the region."

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for several educational, healthcare, and development projects which include a veterinary college in Diphu, a degree college in West Karbi Anglong, and an agricultural college in Kolonga.