Special security cover for 7 cities

NEW DELHI: Clueless about the perpetrators of the Ahmedabad and Bangalore serial blasts, the centre has dug out a three-year-old Megacity Policing Plan to shore up intelligence and ground-level policing in seven major cities to counter the new challenges.

The plan envisages a city-specific strategy for seven major cities with separate funding over and above the budgetary allocations made for the states in which these cities are located.

Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are to be covered under the scheme.

The plan was formulated in 2005-06 as part of the centre’s ambitious police modernisation scheme and was to be extended to some other cities at a later stage. However, it failed to take off as the centre and the states never found the time to finalise its modalities.   

Now, with the spectre of terrorists hitting new targets looming large, the home ministry has decided to revive the plan. A meeting with officials from the seven states is likely to be held soon.

A conclave of chief ministers has also been planned in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes, to discuss security-related issues. Though it is an annual ritual, the special conference of CMs is likely to be held here within the next fortnight which will be preceded by a similar meeting of state DGPs.

Though a ministry source said a final decision is yet to be taken, it is likely that only chief ministers and DGPs from states hit by terrorism and naxal violence will be invited.

In the face of severe public criticism of intelligence failure and deficient ground-level policing in Gujarat and Karnakata, North Block has issued an advisory to all states to focus on these significant aspects of the law and order mechanism. The advisory was issued by ML Kumawat, special secretary (internal security).