Union Home Minister Amit Shah witnesses the signing of tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of India, represented by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Nagaland, represented by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Assam, represented by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for the joint exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas along the Assam-Nagaland border, in New Delhi, on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (June 11, 2026) said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA will be withdrawn from the entire Northeast next year, barring one or two States.
Speaking after signing a tripartite MoU between the Centre, Assam, and Nagaland on mineral oil operations in the Assam-Nagaland boundary areas, Mr. Shah said fewer areas being covered under AFSPA indicate peace in the region.
“I am confident that barring one or two States, we will withdraw AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year,” he said.
Mr. Shah termed the MoU a “historic moment” and said it removed the last hurdle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed Northeast.
The MoU is aimed at undertaking oil and mineral explorations in the disputed area belt along the Assam-Nagaland border where exploration had remained stalled for more than three decades due to jurisdictional differences.
“This will open new avenues for mineral exploration in the Northeast. The area not only has oil and gas but huge mineral deposits, which could not be explored due to law and order issues,” Mr. Shah said. With the MoU, extraction capacity of 1,000-1,500 barrels per day can be increased by 10 times, he said.
“In one field alone, there are possibilities of recovery of more than ₹15,000 crore. If we extract the oil deposits spread across Nagaland, we would be able to reduce dependence on foreign countries for our oil needs,” he said.
Mr. Shah said that ever since Mr. Modi took charge, he kept his focus on the Northeast and has become the Prime Minister to visit the region the maximum number of times.
Since 2019, 12 accords have been signed between various groups and State governments, which resulted in a significant drop of around 80% in incidents of violence in the region, he said.
“The development of both Assam and Nagaland remained hampered for a long time because a consensus could not be reached for an MoU. The avenue that opened today will open doors for development for both states. It is the best example of cooperative federalism,” the Home Minister said.
Published – June 12, 2026 02:15 am IST
