New Delhi: Facing a threat from both urban and Naxal terrorism, Maharashtra on Monday demanded over Rs 500 crore from the Centre for projects to strengthen and upgrade its capabilities to fight the menace.
"Maharashtra is under threat from urban terrorism on the west and Left wing terrorism on the East," Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said while addressing the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security here.
Listing his various demands, Chavan sought Rs 100 crores for upgrading and setting up training institutions such as anti-naxal training academy Alpha Hawks at Nagpur and Urban terrorism Institute at Pune.
Demanding choppers for carrying out aerial surveillance, he said, "given the length of the coastline, two helicopters having day and night flying capability may be provided to us for conducting aerial patrolling".
Seeking approval of Rs two crores for strengthening and equipping the Maharashtra Intelligence Academy at Pune and another Rs 23 crore for strengthening the State Intelligence set-up, Chavan demanded committed funding by the Centre for a five-year project to improve the Police Population ration in Maharashtra and grants for maintenance and replacement for equipment purchased under Modernisation of Police Forces programme for 10 more years.
Reminding the Home Minister of his promise to provide special additional grants under MPF to his state, he said, "When a proposal of Rs 585 crores for the year 2009-10 was sent to the Ministry, it was reduced to Rs 175.02 crores. I would request the Home Minister to make a special allocation, as promised, under the MPF."
On the security of 1,845 vital installations in the state, Chavan said that Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tarapur and oil installations were perennially on terror radar and security audits have been conducted following which Mumbai Police was discussing plans to upgrade the security of private establishments also.
Referring to steps taken by the state government to prevent 26/11-like attacks, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said that an elite anti-terror force named `Force One` has been raised along with the creation of Quick Response Teams and Anti terrorist Squad has been strengthened to be able to "effectively respond to any critical situation".
Chavan said that creation of the State Special Security Force (SSSF) on lines of CISF was also approved and the new force would comprise personnel from the state police, Central Police Forces and the armed forces on deputation.
"This force will be mandated to take care of the security of Government buildings, vital installations and places of worship and private entities also," he said.
Chavan said that the State Government had created the post of Director General of Police (Special Operations) to increase focus on dealing with terrorism.
With increasing threat from unknown terror groups, Chavan said that Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS) have been formed in all Police Commissionerates in the state.
He said that efforts were on to put in a joint surveillance system with the Mumbai Police, Navy, Coast Guard, Oil Companies and other installations, which have surveillance systems installed with them.
On improving the intelligence gathering capabilities of the state, Chavan said, "the State Intelligence Department has been reorganised and a state-of-the-art Maharashtra Intelligence Academy has been set up at Pune to focus on the improvement of collection and collation."
The Chief Minister requested the Home Minister to operate the Western Region Intelligence Bureau training facility from this newly created Academy.
Raising the issue of naxalism, Chavan said, "They have been seeking to increase their influence in the state and over the last six months, we have lost 31 Police personnel in organised Naxalite ambushes."
He said that the state government had taken various steps for restructuring and strengthening of police establishments in naxal affected districts in the state.
Bureau Report
