Bomb Blasts In India - 1

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CMs’ meet to discuss security
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Special Correspondent

Shivraj Patil briefs Manmohan on the situation in the wake of the blasts

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Sunday briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the security situation in the country in wake of the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

A meeting of the Chief Ministers to review the internal security situation is likely to be convened shortly even as the Home Ministry stressed the need for a federal investigation agency to probe inter-State and trans-border related crimes, including acts of terrorism.

After a high-level review meeting at his residence, Mr. Patil drove to the Prime Minister’s residence and apprised him of the steps being taken by the Centre and security agencies in coordination with the States to prevent terror incidents. Dr. Singh is understood to have told Mr. Patil to extend all possible help to the Gujarat government in dealing with the situation.

Mr. Patil told journalists that stringent action would be taken against those behind such incidents. “We should see that no mischief is perpetrated to disturb peace and tranquillity in the country.”

The meeting at Mr. Patil’s residence was attended by Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekar, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, Intelligence Bureau director P.C. Haldar, Research and Analysis Wing chief Ashok Chaturvedi, Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal and senior officers of the Home Ministry and security agencies.

Home Ministry sources said the need for a federal investigation agency was once again raised. It was decided that the meeting of the Chief Ministers, to be convened soon, would discuss the overall law and order situation, with special focus on internal security..

Sources said the Centre was also keen on amending the CISF Act to provide for the deployment of Central paramilitary forces to protect the information technology organisations.

The meeting decided to await reports from the Karnataka and Gujarat governments to prepare short-term and long-term measures to deal with such situations.

Stress would be laid on increasing the police-population ratio, imparting training to face new challenges, modernisation of police force, filling of vacancies in the State police and strengthening their intelligence gathering mechanism.

The States would be asked to earmark more funds for matters relating to security, the sources added.