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, amendment to the Communal Violence
(Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005
and bill to redefine `rape` and `sexual assault`.
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.
Three international covenants were ratified, viz, (i) the
Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women (September 18, 2009); (ii) the Convention on the
rights of the child (September 2009); and (iii) the Convention
on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination
(September 28, 2010).
PTI
