JOIN USPC bats for outfit to fight terror
The minister said once the NCTC is approved, it would be in place within 60 days and operational in the next 18 months.
Chidambaram said the country was gradually upgrading security apparatus to tighten the internal security. He was addressing a three-day conference of Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police here.
“Two terrorist attacks in two months indeed blots our record. Naturally, the Centre and security forces have been severely criticised. While we accept the responsibility for the incidents and the legitimate criticism, it is our duty to set out the context in which such terrorist attacks take place,” Chidambaram said pointing out that “no country in the world, including the United States, appears to be entirely immune to the threat of terror.”
He said up to August 2011, there have been 279 major terrorist incidents in 22 countries. The worst affected are Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The epicentre of terror is Afghanistan-Pakistan. Four out of five major terrorist groups are based in Pakistan and three of them — LeT, JeM and HM — continue to target India.
The home minister said Crime and Criminal Tracking Network (CCTN) is being put in place in the country.
While admitting slippages, he hoped the nationwide network will be in place by March, 2013.
“Some states have not yet selected the system integrator; some have not yet set up State Data Centre. These are matters that require the personal attention of the DGP of the state,” Chidambaram said and referred to “other ambitious project” — NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid).
The government has approved the NATGRID on June 6, 2011, and it is expected to be completed in 18 months.
The minister said the underlying premise of setting up the NCTC is that “there is a subtle difference between anti-terrorism and counterterrorism.”
“To borrow a phrase from the National Strategy for Counter Terrorism published by the US government in June, 2011, the goal must be to disrupt, dismantle and eventually defeat the terrorist groups,” Chidambaram said.