Govt to strengthen IB to tackle terrorism

New Delhi, Oct 19: Concerned over the spreading network of terrorist organisations in the country, Government has decided to strengthen the intelligence network and amend the legal framework to effectively deal with extremism.

The Home Ministry is considering amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to broaden the definition of terrorism and facilitate investigations in the terror incidents by helping in evidence collection. However, there would be no draconian provisions made under the law so that people and groups do not feel threatened, sources said. They said the government would not bring a separate law as demanded by the BJP and other opposition parties and suggested in the report of the Veerappa Moily Committee on the administrative reforms.

To strengthen the Central Intelligence machinery, new additional posts have been created in the Intelligence Bureau. Steps have also been taken to streamline the arrangements for gathering, analysing and sharing of intelligence among different agencies and coordination with the state governments in institutionalised manner.

Measures for effective operationalisation of the institutional mechanism for intelligence collection, analysis sharing and coordination with the state government viz Multi Agency Centre, Subsidiary Multi Agency Centres, Joint Task Force on Intelligence and Inter-State Intelligence Support Teams have been taken.

A committee on Strengthening of Intelligence in States has been formed which would be coordinated and convened by Intelligence Bureau(IB).

The Committee comprises DGPs of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Delhi. It would strengthen intelligence and help in collection, analysis, dissemination and constant flow of information at all levels. The committee is yet to finalise its report.

The states have been advised to utilise service of retired army personnel, IB personnel and police personnel on contractual basis.

Meanwhile, the ban on extremist organiastions like SIMI and other terror groups would continue. The Centre has declared 32 organisations as terrorist organisations including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and LTTE.

The terror groups are targeting vital installations, economic infrastructure and Political leaders. Soft targets like market places, mass transit system, places of worship and congregations are also in their hit-list. They are increasingly using sophisticated communication technologies and avoid detection in the process of planning and execution, the 'Status Paper on Internal Security Situation' has revealed.

The current strategy of the terrorist groups include recruiting and training local modules and maintaining continuous flow of finances to sustain terrorist network.

To grapple with the problem of fake Indian currency being printed abroad especially in Pakistan and smuggled into this country to fund terrorism, the CBI has been designated as the nodal agency to coordiante with the states and other organisations and agencies.

Steps are also being taken to check drug trafficking, money laundering , extortion, counterfeit currency, FICN arms trade etc which directly or indirectly promote terrorism.

The Micro-Missions on Police is devising measures to reform police so that it could effectively tackle these challenges.

It said that states are being given assistance under the Police Modernisation Scheme and upgrading their forensic science laboratories so that they could work better.

The Common Integrated Police Applications Programme with an outlay of Rs 2000 crore has been launched in the Eleventh plan for computerisation of police stations and developing a country-wide crime and criminal tracking system and data base.

UNI