Coastal states to get Rs 400 crore for improving security

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) Apprehending that India's vast coastline could be increasingly used by terrorists to infiltrate into the country, the government today said it would provide Rs 400 crore to the coastal states to strengthen their security system.

In addition, the government is receptive to the idea of providing better security arrangements to mega cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad, which have been targeted by terrorists.

Replying to a long-drawn discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the internal security scenario in the country, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the government was alive to the fact that sea routes were more important and were likely to be used by terrorists for infilitration into the country.

He said the government would provide Rs 400 crore to coastal states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to beef up security apparatuses and make coastal patrolling more effective.

Sharing concern of members over the need to provide better security arrangements to mega cities against terror attacks, the minister said the Central government had accepted this suggestion.

''We have asked the state governments to send proposals to the Centre for providing better security arrangements in mega cities,'' he said, adding that the UPA government would help them in all respects.

Mr Patil also rejected the idea of toughening anti-terror laws, saying the existence of POTA and TADA had failed to prevent occurrence of violent activities.

''Our conviction is that laws have to be humane. We have to ensure that laws are not misused against innocent people to make them hostile to the society,'' he argued.

The minister said there was a need to delete some of the obnoxious provisons of some of the laws. The Supereme Court had also prescribed some guidelines while dealing with terrorists, and these could be incorporated into the existing laws, he aded.

Pointing out that terrorists were executing their nefarious game plans by high-tech arms and weapons, he said this made a strong case for modernising the security machinery by inducting modern technology.

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