Secure climate must for achieving targeted growth: Patil

New Delhi, Apr 12 (UNI) The Centre today asked the states to efficiently manage civil administration and police forces for ensuring a secure environment for the country to become a global economic power with a sustained annual economic growth of 8 to 10 per cent.

"No developmental activity is possible or sustainable in an environment of insecurity and disorder," Home Minister Shivraj Patil told Chief Secretaries and Directors General of police from states at a meeting on internal security and law and order.

"Problems and issues of peace, security and public order and also of equity and social justice have to be efficiently managed," he said, while pointing out that this was becoming increasingly necessary at a time when the country is poised to become a global economic power.

He, however, expressed satisfaction that the overall internal security, law and order and communal situation in the country remained largely under control.

Mr Patil made a pointed reference to the external dimensions of terrorist activities in certain parts of the country and linkages between terrorists and other organised crimes like gun running, drug trafficking, money laundering and fake Indian currency notes.

In this context, he referred to the recent bomb blasts and incidents of terror in Delhi, Bangalore and Varanasi, and said investigations made so far into these senseless acts of terror had revealed that these had been primarily the handiwork of externally sponsored terrorist outfits while taking local help of some fringe elements.

"These have been desperate attempts to disturb peace and communal harmony and target economic and scientific infrastructure in the country." More UNI SH RP HT1555