Centre will rake up states’ dismal intelligence capacity to prepare a strong case for counter-terror centre.
Though a separate and standalone discussion on the controversial National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) has been fixed for May 5, the Centre is expected to prepare a strong ground indirectly in its favour in the chief ministers’ meeting on internal security on Monday by giving a detailed account of the dismal intelligence gathering and operations set up in the states.
The agenda that is going to be circulated to chief ministers and top officials of the states will point out how 97 per cent of the terror related intelligence inputs given to the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) is generated by central agencies while only a dismal three per cent comes from the intelligence set up of the states, of which 95 per cent is generated by a single state.
Barring West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has decided to keep her arsenal ready for the May 5 meet, the rest of the anti-NCTC chief ministers, including Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), J Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu) and Narendra Modi (Gujarat) are expected to attend Monday’s meet.
While talking to the police chiefs, the Centre is also expected to put on the table the miserable track record of states in conducting anti-terrorist operations and the lack of anti-sabotage expertise available with them to conduct such operations. The Centre is expected to bring in the surprise lethal attacks by Taliban in Kabul and north-western Pakistan in discussion to argue a case for the need of an agency like the NCTC, albeit in a mild manner.
Several chief ministers, especially of the non-Congress ruled states, have vehemently opposed the NCTC by saying that it was anti-federalism and stepped on states’ jurisdiction as it will have the power to raid and arrest without even keeping the states in the loop.
The MHA, however, claims it is not so because after arrests the person/s involved would be handed over to the police and investigations and prosecution would also be done by the respective state agencies. It has also promised to constitute standard operating procedures (SOPs) to take care of states’ concerns and argues that the provision of Standing Council in the NCTC already takes care of the federal structure.
Arguing about the deeply embedded terrorists threats within the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would also emphasise states to set up of separate intelligence cadre, consider giving special incentives to state intelligence officials, work out specific training curriculum to improve their capabilities and regular consultations with IB and other central agencies to keep it updated.
To strengthen intelligence gathering and its dissemination, the Centre is already working on installing 399 nodes between MAC and 30 SMAC (states multi agency centre) headquarters and 32 SSBs located in state capitals. Connected through 2 mbps secure lines, 287 out of 399 nodes have already been installed and functioning while work is in progress 112 locations.
Another key issue in the meeting will be the dismal infrastructure of coastal police stations. Conceptualised to prevent 26/11 like terror attacks, most of these police stations lack surveillance machinery and do not have simple gadgets like photo-copy and machines and are working through rented premises.
The meeting will also discuss future Maoist threat on the golden industrial corridor running through stretches of Maharashtra and Gujarat for which the CPI (Maoist) has already constituted a Golden Corridor Committee comprising several of its central committee members.
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