Ministers ask why Pradhan panel recommendations weren’t implemented.
Home minister RR Patil was cornered on Thursday when senior ministers of the state cabinet demanded an explanation from him on the security lapses that helped the perpetrators execute Wednesday’s serial bomb blasts in the city.
At a closed-door cabinet meeting held to review security in the state following the blasts, Patil’s colleagues sought a progress report on local intelligence gathering. The ministers blasted Patil for the complete failure of intelligence, wondering how different was 2011 from 2008 when similar administrative lapses were exposed in the RD Pradhan Committee report.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who chaired the meeting, was silent for the most part. But the same could not be said about minister for industries Narayan Rane, public works department minister Chhagan Bhujbal and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
They discussed threadbare the shortcomings in the home ministry, angry at the failure of the home minister to adhere to the RD Pradhan committee recommendations on strengthening of the police force post 26/11.
Rane wondered what could have happened to the much-hyped proposal to induct 100 highly-trained officers in the intelligence force. Patil claimed that lack of funds often delayed implementation. To this, Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, asked: “When and where have you sent the proposal for more funds to upgrade home department projects? Shortage of funds and manpower is a routine excuse given every time. This is not acceptable any longer.”
Sources in the cabinet told DNA that Patil was not willing to take the blame and tried to give a long explanation on how he has to multi-task with the limited resources and manpower at his command. He explained the measures undertaken by the department, and the work pressure on the police.
Chavan emphasised the urgency to modernise the force, arm it well and train it to combat terrorism.
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