`Every state to have NIA office by 2024`: Amit Shah makes big announcement

Amit Shah also said that collective efforts of both centre and state governments are needed to tackle crimes operating from across the country`s border or states` borders or regional crimes to make society free from fear

Surajkund: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a gathering two-day ‘Chinta Shivir’ in Surajkund, Haryana on Thursday, October 27, 2022, said that it is the collective responsibility of states and the Centre to effectively tackle trans-border crimes. "In our Constitution, law and order is a state subject...But we can be successful against trans-border or borderless crimes only when all states sit together to ponder over them, make a common strategy and (make) efforts to curb them," he said while addressing the gathering. 

Amit Shah said that the BJP governments have made significant changes in the NIA (National Investigation Agency) and UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) and said that the changes were implemented to give them more power. 

"We have made important changes in the NIA (National Investigation Agency) and UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) to give more powers to the agency," Shah said.

Stressing on NIA, Shah said that the investigating agency has been given extra-territorial jurisdiction, along with other powers. He also said that decisions have been made to set up NIA branch in every state by 2024.

"The agency has been given extra-territorial jurisdiction. The agency has also got powers to seize properties of a terrorist. We have decided that every state will have a NIA unit to develop a strong anti-terror network," he said.

The Union Home Minister was addressing a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' organised with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'Vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech.

The home minister said it is the collective responsibility of states to effectively tackle crimes operating from across the country's border or states' borders or regional crimes to make society free from fear.

The 'shivir' can become a good platform to discuss strategies to counter cyber crimes, narcotics and cross-border terrorism, among others, and to exchange good practices in law and order. Shah said that "we will have to focus on rationalisation of resources".

The Modi government has recorded success on all fronts of internal security be it Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast or narcotics smuggling, he said. The minister said that all states will have National Investigation Agency offices as a strategy to counter-terrorism.

"Our internal security is considered strong," Shah said also noting that "35,000 police and CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel have laid down their lives to keep the unity and integrity of the country intact".

Prime Minister Modi will address the 'Chintan Shivir' through video conferencing on October 28. Development of an ecosystem for cybercrime management, modernisation of police forces, increase in usage of information technology in the criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues will be discussed at the event.

(With Agency Inputs)