The Assam government has taken a concrete step towards having a more stringent law to deal with terrorists and criminals involved in anti-state activities.

The Congress-led coalition government has tabled the Assam Preventive Detention (Amendment) Bill 2009, which will make the Assam Preventive Detention Act, 1980, more effective. The government intends to increase the maximum period of preventive detention from six months to two years.

The Act, which comes close on the heels of the serial blasts in October that killed 90 people, allows the government to detain a person for two years with the objective of preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state.

The army and the security forces that have been operating against insurgents in Assam, have often rued the lack of tougher laws to keep insurgents behind bars for a longer period to prevent them from rejoining their respective outfits immediately after being released on bail by the court.

The main opposition party, Asom Gana Parishad has hailed the amendment intended to the Assam Preventive Detention Act, 1980 terming it a 'late but necessary' step on part of the Congress government. However, other opposition parties including the BJP and Left parties have sought time to react to the Amendment Bill as they wanted to be assured that the amendment was in no way going to infringe upon the rights of common people.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi who also holds the Home portfolio earlier announced that the State was soon going to have tougher  laws to deal with terror in the aftermath of October 30 serial blasts across the state.