Mumbai could become the first place outside Delhi where the famed Black Cats of the National Security Guard (NSG) will have a base
NEW DELHI: Mumbai could become the first place outside Delhi where the famed Black Cats of the National Security Guard (NSG) will have a base, highly-placed sources told DNA on Sunday.
At present, NSG has stations in Manesar near Delhi and Delhi city.
Hectic backroom activity is under way with officials working overtime to make the Mumbai base a reality as early as possible, the sources said.
“There is a proposal to have NSG presence in other cities of the country as well and Mumbai could be the first such city,” a senior NSG officer said.
Apart from having a station in Mumbai, NSG’s long-time demand to have an air unit of its own has taken off again.
Government sources said the delay of over four hours in rushing the commandos to Mumbai from Delhi on Wednesday night when the nation’s commercial capital came under a terrorist attack has scaled up the urgency of NSG having its own fixed-wing aircraft.
NSG did not have a ready aircraft to airlift commandos, ammunition and gadgets to Mumbai. A chopper had to be flown in Chandigarh for the purpose, which delayed the operation.
“By the time the commandos reached ground zero, over four hours had been lost,” the officer said, adding that the delay could have been avoided had NSG had its own long-flying capability aircraft.
“NSG has two choppers but they can’t transport so many men (200 were sought in Mumbai) and ammunition to such a far off destination,” he said.
It had to borrow the Indian Air Force’s IL-76 aircraft for the operation.
NSG’s demand for a fixed-wing aircraft for ferrying commandos to far off destinations has been gathering dust in the home ministry.
“It (fixed-wing aircraft) will be of great help in mobilising commandos to far off places and will also add pace to operations,” the officer said.
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