Par panel favours setting up federal intelligence agency

Deploring lack of coordination among intelligence bodies before the Mumbai terror attacks, a Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday,  asked the government to set up a federal spy agency bringing the military intelligence network under its ambit.

The Standing Committee on Defence also wanted the government to speed up the creation of post of chief of Defence Staff (CDS), mooted by the 1999 Kargil Review Committee, to ensure "optimum level of jointness" among the three armed forces.

In its report submitted to the Lok Sabha, the Committee, expressing grave concern over the prevailing situation, strongly recommended that "the government should take immediate steps to constitute a federal central intelligence agency covering under its umbrella even the tri-service intelligence gathering network."

It said the Kargil intrusion and the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai "brought out instances of lack of coordination among different intelligence gathering agencies, including those of military, resulting in loss of precious lives of defence and police personnel as well as civilians."

On the CDS, the committee, headed by Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, said till such time the post was created, the government should take steps "to give appropriate authority to the existing chairman of chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) to command and control the resources of the Defence Services whenever the situation so demanded."