Involve private security agencies in intelligence gathering: Patil

Mumbai, Nov 8 (UNI) Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today said the Centre has proposed a 'private detective regulatory act' to involve private security agencies in intelligence gathering.

Mr Patil was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national conference on terrorism to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Mumbai police commissionerate at Sahaydri guest house in South Mumbai here.

Mr Patil said there are only 22 lakh police officers and personnel in the entire country with population of over one billion as compared to the strength of 50 lakh persons employed in private security agencies. He said the private security agencies employ retired personnel from police and defence forces and are well versed in intelligence gathering.

He asked the state governments to increase the strength of the police force in their respective states as in recent years, terrorism had posed danger to the country's integrity, lives and property of its citizens.

''All state governments should make budgetary provisions for the police department and consider it as one of the infrastructure development activity,'' he added.

Mr Patil called for defectless laws to curb terror and felt that present legislations needed amendments. ''States should also have the freedom to enact laws as crime and terror is growing at varied propositions. The Centre has already amended the CrPC provisions but they are still limited,'' he added.

He said since terrorists are spreading their tentacles even in rural areas, the police patils and kotwals should also be involved by the central agencies like IB,RAW and CBI in intelligence gathering and monitor terrorists activities. There are 1.5 lakh police patils and kotwals spread over 12000 police stations in rural areas, he added.

Mr Patil also suggested that Special Branches of the State CID should be strengthened and given sufficient manpower to tackle crime and growing terrorist activities.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Narsimhan and senior IPS officers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra are attending the conference.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) A P Sinha, Director General of Maharashtra Dr P S Pasricha, Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Joint CP K P Raghuvanshi were also present.

UNI MR ADG YA KP1909