New Delhi, April 23

The AFSPA has been removed completely from Meghalaya and its area of operation in Arunachal Pradesh has been restricted to three police stations bordering Assam and three districts neighbouring Myanmar, officials said on Monday.The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which empowers security forces to conduct operations, arrest anyone anywhere without prior notice, has been removed from all areas of Meghalaya from March 31.The decision has been taken due to a significant improvement of security situation in the state, a Home Ministry official said.In Arunachal Pradesh, areas under the controversial Act have been reduced from 16 police stations areas bordering Assam to eight besides Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, the official said.There have been demands from various organisations in the north-east as well as in Jammu and Kashmir for repealing the Act, which, they say, gives “sweeping powers” to the security forces to act against “civilians”.The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades and in Assam from early 1990s. — PTI