Adnan Faruqi
BANNED
Central Armed Police Forces recruited 95,540 troops last year and 92,168 troops will be recruited this year
New Delhi: With P Chidambaram completing three years as Home Minister, the Centre on Thursday gave a list of successes achieved under his stewardship and also took note of the setbacks and pending issues before the Ministry.
Flanked by top Home Ministry officials and chiefs of paramilitary forces, Union Home Secretary R K Singh said there has been significant decline in violence in Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states, there was no major communal conflagration during last three years and there has been significant capacity building of police across the country.
"The states were provided Rs 3,612 crore during the four financial years (2008-2012) for modernisation of State Police under the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme," he said.
The Home Secretary described as "notable setbacks" bomb blast in Pune on February 7, 2010, Mumbai serial blasts on July 13, 2011 and bomb blast at Delhi High Court on September 7, 2011 and increase in violence and casualties in Left wing extremism-hit districts of Bihar and Maharashtra.
Singh also flagged "notable pending matters" which include setting up of National Counter Terrorism Centre, amendments to Armed Forces Special Powers Act, framing up of Revised Action Plan to deal with emerging challenges from Left wing extremists.
The Home Secretary said the agenda before Home Ministry is very long and many things are yet to be completed despite being given priority.
He said border policing has to be intensified with terrorist camps across LoC and camps of Northeast insurgent groups in Bangladesh shifted to Myanmar.
"We are talking to the Myanmar government. Terrorists are being pushed through different routes. We have to intensify policing of these routes. In LWE, we have achieved successes. But we have to achieve more success. Better sort of collection of ground level of intelligence, more intelligence based operations etc. In the North-East, we have had fair degree of success but I think we need more success," he said.
Singh said the home Ministry has been taking special initiatives to overcome each of the challenges.
He said India is living in a troubled neighbourhood and continues to be "very vulnerable" to terrorist threat as many radicalised youths continue to target the country.
"We have planned and conducted joint operations with states to deal with Maoists. In Kashmir, the results speak for themselves. There has been significant decline in violence. Tourist traffic to the valley has been maximum, ground situation has changed," he said.
The Home Secretary also described the arrest of six youths by Delhi Police as a major success as they were allegedly involved in several terror acts, including firing at Delhi's Jama Masjid, Bomb blasts in Bangalore's Chinnaswami stadium and Pune's German bakery.
The Home Ministry's list of successes in last three years includes successful prosecution and conviction of 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab, approval for setting up of NATGRID, 2008 amendment to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, establishment of National Investigation Agency, which filed chargesheet in 20 cases out of the 32 cases entrusted to it.
"Comprehensive security arrangements made for the Commonwealth Games held in October 2010 at New Delhi and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 held in Feb-Apr 2011 at various venues," the Home Secretary said.
He said India gained access to interrogate David Coleman Headley, who recced the 26/11 targets for the terrorists, and the NIA will file charge-sheet against Headley shortly.
Singh said five Politbureau members and seven other Central Committee members of CPI (Maoist) have been arrested in last three years and number of paramilitary force battalions deployed in LWE affected states increased from 37 in 2008 to 73 in November 2011, apart from 10 cobra battalions.
"Capacity building of State police forces in 9 LWE affected States through enhanced allotment in 2011-12 under Security Related Expenditure Scheme (SRE) (Rs 598 crore) and Scheme for Special Infrastructure (SIS) (Rs 362 crore).
"Focused development of 60 Tribal and backward LWE affected districts in 9 LWE affected States through Integrated Action Plan (IAP). 63,416 projects sanctioned, of which 26,593 completed, incurring an expenditure of Rs 1,391 crore till November 2011," he said.
The measures taken towards capacity building of the Central Armed Police Forces include raising of 36 battalions and 21 in the process of being raised, recruitment of 95,540 personnel to the CAPFs in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and 92,168 constables (GD) proposed to be recruited through Staff Selection Commission in 2011-12.
Besides, 17 new training institutions being set up and 13 being upgraded/augmented at a cost of Rs 1,453.43 crore. These, inter alia, include 2 RTCs for IB; 3 RTCs, 1 CIJW (Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare school) and 1 CTC for ITBP; 1 CIAT school for CRPF; and 3 RTCs for SSB.
Four NSG hubs at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad have also been established in last three years. Hyderabad and Kolkata hubs will be upgraded as Regional Centres.
Rs 2,459 crore sanctioned to CAPFs for building infrastructure
The following important International agreements finalised and signed since November 2008: Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties in Criminal Matters (MLAT) signed with 6 countries: Hong Kong SAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indonesia, MoU on drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking signed with Bhutan on 22 December 2009.
MoU on Combating International Terrorism signed with Maldives on November 12, 2011, agreement on Security Cooperation signed with UAE on November 23 2011, agreements on Transfer of Sentenced Persons signed with 7 countries: Sri Lanka, Iran, Bangladesh, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Maldives and UAE.
Agreements with 4 more countries, namely, Turkey, Israel, Brazil and Bosnia-Herzegovina finalised and would be signed in due course.
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