New Delhi: Amidst a controversy over declaring 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh as "disturbed" under AFSPA, the Centre has told the state government that it was ready to roll back the decision if suggestions on how to deal with the militants were shared with it.
In a communication to Arunachal Pradesh government, the Home Ministry said that it was trying to help the state in dealing with the growing problem of insurgency by declaring the 12 districts as "disturbed" under Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Sources said the Home Ministry told Arunachal Pradesh government that it was ready to withdraw the notification through which the 12 districts bordering Assam were declared "disturbed" if the state government sends a detailed strategy on curbing the activities of NDFB and ULFA militants.
The letter has been sent to the state government three days ago but no reply has come yet, sources said.
All districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam have been declared "Disturbed Areas" under AFSPA as the government has found heightened militant activity there.
Under the order, which will be in force for one year, security forces will have sweeping powers in all these 12 out of 19 districts of the state.
The 12 districts include the highly sensitive Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, where six banned militant groups like NDFB, NSCN and ULFA have their presence, according to a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry.
Following a review of the security situation in Arunachal Pradesh, the Home Ministry has found that the law and order situation in all districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam has continued to be a "matter of concern due to violent incident by underground outfits", the notification said.
Hitting out at the Centre for declaring 12 districts of his state as "disturbed" without any consultation, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki had last week said such a move was nothing but an attack on the federal structure in the country.
"There was no discussion, no consultation. It was an unilateral decision by the central government to declare 12 districts as disturbed area. All these districts are completely peaceful," he had told PTI here.
