Proactive approach against 'potential' terrorists needed: HM

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Indian Home Minister P
Chidambaram Tuesday stressed the need for a "proactive"
approach to root out threats emanating from "potential"
terrorists operating in the country in a clandestine manner.

"Our response to terrorism cannot be reactive. There is
ample evidence that many terrorist modules have burrowed their
way into the country. There are also many sleeper cells.

"We must adopt a proactive approach to apprehend these
people and thwart any possible terrorist threat.In this
regard, too, the key is gathering and sharing intelligence and
responding in a coordinated manner to apprehend the potential
terrorist," Chidambaram said while addressing the Conference
of Chief Ministers on internal security here.

He asked the chief ministers to put in place a clear
command structure in the case of a terrorist threat or attack.

"There must be no ambiguity or confusion about who is
in-charge, ...All aspects must be spelt out clearly and made
known to the state police department as well as other forces
that may be requisitioned in the case of a terrorist threat or
a terrorist attack," he said.

The home minister asked the chief ministers to
strengthen the intelligence gathering function at the ground
level (police station) in their respective states.

"There must be at least one person of the rank of the
head constable or an assistant sub-inspector who is
exclusively charged with this (intelligence gathering)
responsibility -- and is burdened with no other work," he
said.

"Besides the Special Branch must be strengthened and
adequate number of Special Branch personnel must be posted in
districts and major towns," Chidambaram said.

He asked the chief ministers to draft a strategy for
"seamless flow of intelligence in real time" from a police
station to National Capital via District Headquarters and
state capital and vice versa.

"Beginning January 1, 2009 the Multi Agency Centre has
begun to function on a 24×7 basis and is now legally obliged
to share intelligence with all other agencies, including
agencies of the Governments of the states and Union
Territories," he said.

"Under the Modernisation of Police Forces Scheme, there
is a component to enhance the capacity of Special Branch of
state police and I would request you to implement the agreed
plans expeditiously," Chidambaram told the chief ministers.

He said objectives to raise the level of preparedness to
meet increasingly sophisticated terrorist attacks and
enhancing the speed and decisiveness of response mechanism
should be achieved in a relatively short period of time.

Police personnel should be given special training and
advanced equipment to deal with such threats, he said.

"The Central Government proposes to set up hubs of the
National Security Guard in different parts of the country. To
begin with, hubs will be set-up in four cities."

"Some other cities will be covered by a trained anti-
terrorist force provided by defence forces--for example
Bengaluru will be covered by the Army. In the course of time,
NSG hubs will be set up in more centres," he said and asked
the states to raise and deploy their own anti-terrorist forces
and offered them all the help from the Centre. PTI ACB
SAK
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