Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Wednesday said the Centre is considering steps aimed at segregating regular policing from specialised criminal investigations. Patil was speaking at a national-level seminar on terrorism at the government guest house in Malabar Hill.
Referring to the heightened national security concerns triggered by the recent “high-impact” terrorist strikes in Mumbai and Delhi, the Union Home Minister said the government was also keen on allotting extra-funds to enhance protection and security.
The minister, however, chose not to mention anything about the 11/7 investigations and on the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) though the seminar came a week ahead of the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan meeting in Delhi on the joint-mechanism on terror. Speaking on the broader aspects of taming terror, he said, “The terrorism-induced internal security scene in the country is not comfortable though not entirely out of our control.”
Patil said special measures were being initiated to upgrade the technical expertise (which implies introduction of new gadgets and equipments) of agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a crucial arm of the Centre’s intelligence machinery. “The Home Ministry is also considering implementing a series of measures to improve intelligence gathering at grassroots,” Patil said.
At a press conference, Patil announced that soon-to-be implemented metropolitan policing project could ensure an ambience of improved security and better protective cover for the critical urban infra-structure.
“Mumbai is going to be accorded maximum importance in the new mega-city policing scheme. The overall purpose is to augment policing and security measures on the land, air and sea,” Patil said adding that the Maharashtra government has been asked to submit a list of proposals. The minister made a special mention of Mumbai’s coastline security saying that the scheme would significantly address such problems as well.
The minister later announced that his ministry (keen to improve on the existing police-population ratio) will raise 300 new battalions at the central level.
“Respective state governments, too, have been asked to scout for avenues to seek more recruits for the police force,” he said.
