Noting that there was lack of coordination between states in tackling terrorism, the Centre will soon convene a meeting of chief ministers to discuss setting up of a special agency for investigating federal crimes.
The move comes in the wake of recent blasts in Hyderabad, Ajmer and Ludhiana where the security machinery was examining inter-state links to get to the bottom of the incidents.
In the absence of federal investigating agency, security agencies find it difficult to investigate terror-related incidents having links in various states and even trans-border connections.
"Home Minister Shivraj Patil is keen on a consensus on the issue and is convening a meeting of chief ministers here soon," sources said pointing out at the reports of several police reforms committees which have suggested setting up of such an agency to tackle the menace.
The minister is "hopeful" that all states, especially the BJP-ruled ones which have opposed the idea, will "come around" the proposal as the situation demands such an agency, they said.
The BJP-led governments have opposed the idea on the pretext that such an agency was an "antithesis" to federalism, where law and order is a state subject.
The idea of a federal agency was advocated by various police reforms committees like the Administrative Reforms Committee led by Veerappa Moily and NR Madhava Menon Committee.
{{/usCountry}}The idea of a federal agency was advocated by various police reforms committees like the Administrative Reforms Committee led by Veerappa Moily and NR Madhava Menon Committee.
{{/usCountry}}Noting that the Centre was "not averse" to the idea of a federal investigating agency, Patil had told Parliament in August that the concept should not be brushed aside and asked the states to carefully look into the proposal.