Steps taken for strengthening Intelligence set-up

Shillong, Dec 7 (UNI) The Union Home Ministry has established Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI) in order to facilitate horizontal and vertical coordination of intelligence efforts among the Central intelligence agencies and the state intelligence agencies.

The state governments have also been asked to strengthen the special branches of their police forces to enhance capabilities to enable greater collection and sharing of local intelligence to prevent terrorist and anti-national activities, as the government recognises that actionable and strategic intelligence is a force multiplier, MHA officials here said today.

The Central and state intelligence agencies have been working in tandem in pre-empting terrorist attacks. This co-ordinate action has resulted in the busting of 246 Pak-backed terrorist modules during the period from the year 2001 to 2006 (as on September 30 2006).

The available information further indicates a declining trend of violence in Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states. In recent months, the naxal violence has also been largely contained, MHA officials said.

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