Chidambaram promises more NSG hubs post-budget

Operationalizing the regional hub of the NSG in Chennai today, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram promised more NSG hubs across the country and more initiatives to strengthen its hands so that the country's security was not compromised anytime.

Operationalizing the regional hub of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Chennai on Wednesday, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram promised more NSG hubs across the country and more initiatives to strengthen its hands so that the country's security was not compromised anytime.

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"We will have to set up NSG hubs all over the country and certainly more steps will be taken in this regard after the financial allocation for Internal Security will be known in the forthcoming Union Budget on July 6," Mr. Chidambaram said here speaking after formally launching the hub along with State Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. M.K. Stalin.

The terror attack on Mumbai last November opened up the eyes for speedier response by this elite armed force to counter any terror attack and "we have kept our promise of opening four regional hubs by the June 30 deadline we set," Mr. Chidambaram said speaking at the State Police Training College at Ashok Nagar here where the NSG's Chennai hub would be housed for now.

After the NSG hub at Mumbai was operationalized last evening, the hub in Chennai has become functional this morning. The two other regional NSG hubs planned at Hyderabad and Calcutta will also come on stream by this evening, the Minister said, adding, each hub will presently have a 241-member black cat commandos contingent.

Denying there was any dearth of human resources in recruitment of personnel to the NSG, which was done on the basis of a ratio of 53 per cent from the Army and 47 per cent from the para-military forces, Mr. Chidambaram to a query also made it clear that having more NSG hubs "does not mean that terrorists threat (to India) has increased."

Recalling that it took nearly 12 hours for the NSG contingent to arrive from their National headquarters at Manesar in Gurgaon in Haryana during the Mumbai terror attack, Mr. Chidambaram emphasized that the objective of having more regional NSG hubs were two-fold: first to raise the level of preparedness to meet any terror attack or disaster, and second to respond far more swiftly to any terror attack.

"There is no specific threat," he reiterated in explaining why more NSG hubs were needed.

Though there were no dedicated choppers for the regional NSG hubs now, Mr. Chidambaram said helicopters planned under the 'Mega Cities Policing Scheme' could be utilized by the NSG hubs too, besides spare choppers at any time at the Chennai Airport or the Air Force Station at suburban Tambaram.

The NSG Chennai Hub will cover the entire Tamil Nadu and "other areas where it can be rushed to in case of any terror attack or an emergency," Mr. Chidambaram said. He also made it clear that NSG will assist only the State Police, which will have the first charge of defense anyway, and ruled out pressing this elite force to tackle Naxalites.

In Bangalore , capital of the neighbouring State of Karnataka , there was already a 'Special Forces Hub' drawn from the Army, he said to a query on whether the Chennai NSG Hub would also serve that city.

But any emergency in the Tamil Nadu- Andhra Pradesh border for instance, NSG from this hub could be rushed depending on the State Police's decision, Mr. Chidambaram added. A 'Special Forces Hub' was also planned for Jodhpur in Rajasthan, drawn from Army and another Hub was to come up at Guwahati in Assam, drawn from the BSF, Mr. Chidambaram said.

The Home Minister also declined to respond to a BBC report on the on-going trial of Ajmal Kasab, key accused in the Mumbai terror attack case. "The BBC has the luxury of commenting on the trial; As an Indian citizen and Minister, I don't have that luxury. The case is going on and the matter is sub-judice," Mr. Chidambaram declared.

The NSG's Director General, Mr NPS Aulakh, thanked the State Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi and Mr. Stalin, for freely parting with 85 acres of land at Nedungundram, near Vandalur, about 35 km from the city, for building the new campus for the NSG Hub with all supportive infrastructure. The new NSG complex should be ready by November this year, he added.