M A I N   N E W S

No separate funds for NCTC
Rs 764 cr for 2 Home Ministry info-gathering projects
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, March 16
Two important projects of the Union Home Ministry pertaining to information gathering will be in focus during the next fiscal.

But the much-debated National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) does not have separate allocation in the Budget presented today by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The Home Ministry and paramilitary forces have been allocated Rs 54,449 crore by the Finance Minister.

Major emphasis has been laid on providing new residential quarters for Central Armed Police Forces personnel, provision of additional financial assistance in the states affected by naxal violence and also projects in the North-East.

Though the NCTC has no allocation, two other projects floated by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks will be in forefront.

The National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), which aims to collate data from 21 sources and transmit the same to investigators in real-time, has been allocated Rs 364 crore. In the ongoing fiscal, this project had an allocation of only Rs 27.36 crore.

The Natgrid is slated to roll out in December this year. It will collate data from a person’s bank account, income tax returns, air tickets etc and provide a link to each major transaction.

The second project is the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) for Rs 400 crore have been earmarked for assistance to be given to states. The CCTNS will be a countrywide data-collection system of all crimes and criminals which will allow ready access to information to SHOs of police stations.