Home ministry steps in to tackle terror

Mounting concern that adjoining towns like Gurgaon and Noida may not be able to deal with terror attacks has prompted the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to step in, reports Aloke Tikku.

Mounting concern that adjoining towns like Gurgaon and Noida may not be able to deal with terror attacks has prompted the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to step in.

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The ministry is firming up a proposal to ask state governments to pump in money and manpower into the National Capital Region (NCR) districts to bring their policing standards and equipment at par with Delhi Police.

The ministry is planning to ask states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to come up with separate action plans for districts adjoining the Capital under the police modernisation scheme.

Districts closest to Delhi would be the first priority under this plan.

“This would allow the home ministry to earmark funds for modernisation for these districts rather than depend on the state government’s sense of priorities,” a home ministry official said.

The move — that comes in the backdrop of the recent serial blasts in the Capital — has its roots in a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to review upgradation of police infrastructure in Delhi.

Delhi has an average of one policeman for 269 people, while parts of Haryana falling under the NCR area have one policeman for 608 people.