Following 11/7, Maharashtra wants more say and better coordination with the Centre in handling security particularly in Mumbai.
It wants Centre to amend laws to facilitate local policing at airports, railway stations.
Following 11/7, Maharashtra wants more say and better coordination with the Centre in handling security at airports and railway stations in the state, particularly in Mumbai.
The state government has asked the Centre to amend its laws to facilitate local policing rights at airports and railway premises. Currently, security personal at airports and railway stations are accountable to the Union railway and home ministries. A team of senior state officials have brought to the notice of the Deshmukh government how Centre laws have become a hurdle for the state, due to lack of coordination between security agencies.
A senior officer in the CM’s office explained, “Two years ago, the Centre had made changes in the laws after which the airports and railways (in the state) came under the jurisdiction of union home ministry and union railway ministry. As a result, there have always been conflict of interests between the state and Centre. And the various security forces blame each other for security lapses.”
Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Railway Minister Lalu Yadav.
A detailed meeting on Centre-State security rights will be held in Mumbai next week.
“The state government will discuss with the Centre the need for integrated and greater coordination between security forces of both central and state reserves,” Deshmukh said.
A ten-member high-level union railway delegation headed by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to Mumbai to probe the state’s charges have asked the Centre to address the differences immediately. The delegation emphasised that law and order was strictly a state subject and the role of the railway security personnel, including the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP, was limited to checking petty crime, commuter safety and guarding railway property; with limited resources and manpower they could not be expected to check terror attacks.
A senior union railway officer said, “In the first meeting with Shivraj Patil (after the blasts), a senior state police officer threw his arms up, holding the RPF responsible for the security failure.” This incident has not gone well with the home and railway ministries.
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