<p>Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 may be withdrawn from the entire state by November-end.</p>.<p>The Centre in April last year had withdrawn the AFSPA completely from 23 districts in Assam and parts of Manipur and Nagaland. But the AFSPA remained in force in the remaining eight districts and a sub-division of another district in Assam owing to the problem of militancy. </p>.<p><strong>Army men to train police</strong></p>.<p>Addressing a commandants' conference of the Assam Police battalions at Dergaon in eastern Assam's Golaghat districts, Sarma said the state government would rope in former army men to train its police personnel in order to maintain law and order in more professional way after the AFSPA is withdrawn.</p>.<p>"Steps will be taken to empower the battalions so that they can tackle law and order issues with minimum use of force. The AFSPA may be withdrawn completely from the state by November. This will facilitate the replacement of the central armed police personnel by the Assam police battalions. However, the presence of CAPF as required by law shall be in place," he said.</p>.<p>Sarma said the former army men, who would be roped in for providing training to the state police battalions, will be given the status of an additional superintendent of police. </p>.<p><strong>AFSPA in Assam</strong></p>.<p>The AFSPA was promulgated in Assam in 1990, when the banned insurgent group Ulfa carried out large-scale violence. The AFSPA empowers the security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. The act also gives immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces for killings during counter-insurgency operations. Human rights activists, however, have demanded complete withdrawal of the AFSPA to check alleged human rights violations by the security forces during counter-insurgency operations. </p>.<p>The eight districts where the AFSPA is currently in force are: Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Sarma on May 10 said that the state became free from tribal insurgency after the insurgent groups in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao laid down their weapons and signed agreements with the government recently. </p>.<p>Ulfa-Independent, however, continues to be out of the peace process, while another Ulfa group led by Arabinda Rajkhowa and Anup Chetia are engaged in talks for signing an agreement with the government. Ulfa remains the only major insurgent group in Assam at present. </p>
<p>Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 may be withdrawn from the entire state by November-end.</p>.<p>The Centre in April last year had withdrawn the AFSPA completely from 23 districts in Assam and parts of Manipur and Nagaland. But the AFSPA remained in force in the remaining eight districts and a sub-division of another district in Assam owing to the problem of militancy. </p>.<p><strong>Army men to train police</strong></p>.<p>Addressing a commandants' conference of the Assam Police battalions at Dergaon in eastern Assam's Golaghat districts, Sarma said the state government would rope in former army men to train its police personnel in order to maintain law and order in more professional way after the AFSPA is withdrawn.</p>.<p>"Steps will be taken to empower the battalions so that they can tackle law and order issues with minimum use of force. The AFSPA may be withdrawn completely from the state by November. This will facilitate the replacement of the central armed police personnel by the Assam police battalions. However, the presence of CAPF as required by law shall be in place," he said.</p>.<p>Sarma said the former army men, who would be roped in for providing training to the state police battalions, will be given the status of an additional superintendent of police. </p>.<p><strong>AFSPA in Assam</strong></p>.<p>The AFSPA was promulgated in Assam in 1990, when the banned insurgent group Ulfa carried out large-scale violence. The AFSPA empowers the security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. The act also gives immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces for killings during counter-insurgency operations. Human rights activists, however, have demanded complete withdrawal of the AFSPA to check alleged human rights violations by the security forces during counter-insurgency operations. </p>.<p>The eight districts where the AFSPA is currently in force are: Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Sarma on May 10 said that the state became free from tribal insurgency after the insurgent groups in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao laid down their weapons and signed agreements with the government recently. </p>.<p>Ulfa-Independent, however, continues to be out of the peace process, while another Ulfa group led by Arabinda Rajkhowa and Anup Chetia are engaged in talks for signing an agreement with the government. Ulfa remains the only major insurgent group in Assam at present. </p>
