Haryana Budget: State to set up ATS units in Gurugram, Panchkula

₹35.5 crore allocated; IG rank officer to head squad with women commandos as state fast tracks plan after last year’s Red Fort blast probe.

Haryana will set up a dedicated anti-terrorism squad with two exclusive police stations in Gurugram and Panchkula, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on Monday while presenting the state budget.

Two police stations planned with 500 to 800 personnel; unit to report up to DGP and split jurisdiction between north and south districts. (HT)

Saini said ₹35.5 crore will be allocated in the financial year 2026 to 2027 to raise the squad. “An inspector general rank IPS officer will head the unit, and there will be a provision of women commandos in it,” he said in his budget speech.

Senior police officers said the ATS will function as a specialised and independent unit within the state police structure. A senior IPS officer of Gurugram police said the squad will be distinct from district police.

“Its command chain is expected to report an ADGP rank officer in the state police headquarters and further directly to Director General of Police DGP. At least 200 to 500 strength is expected to be raised in the squad initially, which will be further expanded,” he said.

HT graphic

Another IPS officer, requesting anonymity, said the proposal to establish the ATS was first moved nearly two years ago by the Haryana police Special Task Force (STF).

“We had sent a detailed proposal to the headquarters at that time emphasising raising ATS. The state government gave the approval on the home department’s file earlier this year after it remained in consideration for almost six months,” he said.

Officials aware of the development said the ATS will comprise a commando unit, intelligence unit, prosecution unit and training unit.

Police officers said that until now, terror-related cases in Haryana were handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the newly formed ATS will function under it.

They added that once the police stations in Gurugram and Panchkula are established, the two units will divide jurisdiction between southern and northern Haryana districts.

Gurugram police commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora said the police headquarters is currently working on the establishment process. “Once the government identifies land, it will be clear in which part of Gurugram the ATS police station will come up,” Arora said, adding that the presence of ATS in the city will enhance security in the district and neighbouring areas.

A senior IPS officer said that although the proposal had been under consideration, the process was fast-tracked after the Delhi Red Fort suicide blast on November 10 last year.

“The blast was linked with the terror module was functional from Al Falah university in Faridabad which managed remained undetected and the doctors working there had even managed to gather more than 2653 kilograms of ammonium nitrates along with arms and ammunition in rented accommodations at Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga villages which were seized between November 7 and November 9 last year,” he said.

According to the officer, the explosives and arms were seized during operations conducted between November 7 and November 9 last year.