Chidambaram to meet CMs on Jan 6 in Delhi
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Manipur Information Centre
New Delhi, December 20 2008:
UNION HOME Minister P Chidambaram will chair his first meeting with the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories on internal security on January 6.Chidambaram will hold discussions with the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories on further steps needed to tackle terrorism, sources from MHA said.
This is the first meeting of the Home Ministry with state governments after the go-ahead given to the proposed National Investigation Agency (NIA) being passed in Parliament.
The NIA has been empowered to suo-moto take up investigation of crimes impacting national security as well as on directions from the Centre.
A key component to allow the smooth functioning of the NIA is the role of the state governments in passing on information of crimes of national importance like circulation of fake Indian currency, infiltration from across the borders, smuggling of arms and drugs to the Centre.
The Centre, within 15 days of receipt of the report from the states, will then decide whether it is a fit case to be investigated by the agency.
Ahead of the meeting of chief ministers from all states to tackle terrorism, the Union Home Ministry suggested that the states should take several measures including setting up of a 24x7 control room to receive and disseminate intelligence pertaining to terrorism.
In his maiden letter to all chief ministers on Friday, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram invited suggestions and ideas to strengthen state police forces, state intelligence units and ground level policing, sources said.
The letter also requested the Chief Ministers to implement the following suggestions before January 6 .
That, state to establish with immediate effect a 24x7 control room to be manned by a officer of the rank of Dy SP/SP in each shift.
The control room should be electronically linked to offices of collectors and SPs of the state.
The control room should be the centre to receive and disseminate intelligence pertaining to terrorism and other forms of organised violence.
That the state Intelligence Wing must have an Analysis Group that will receive, collate, analyse, link up with previous inputs and disseminate intelligence inputs.
This Analysis Group should work in two shifts totalling 16 hours.
That, both the Control Room and the Analysis Group of the State Intelligence Wing should forward the intelligence inputs and information to the Central Government on a real time basis.
That, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister should invariably take a meeting every morning with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP, DG/IG Intelligence and Commissioner of Police (of the State capital) to review the security situation and issue suitable guidance.
That, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister should take a meeting at each district headquarters over a period of one to two months with the District Collector, IG, DIG, and SP concerned to review the security situation in the district and issue suitable.