N A T I O N

Omar red-flags unilateral operations under NCTC
New Delhi, May 5
Opposing unilateral operation under NCTC, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today red flagged the proposal seeking its further fine- tuning to address special concerns of the state.


J& K CM Omar Abdullah at the meeting of Chief Ministers on the NCTC in New Delhi. — PTI

Assault on federalism, can’t accept it: Badal
New Delhi, May 5
Vehemently opposing the idea of setting up the NCTC, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said “we cannot accept it in its present form” and termed the situation “worse than the Emergency days”. During the Emergency (1975-77), Badal was among those leaders jailed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

(From left): Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Himachal CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna at the Chief Ministers’ meeting on the NCTC in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

No unanimity in BJP on Centre’s role on terror
New Delhi, May 5
The one-day Chief Ministers’ conference called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop consensus on the Home Ministry proposal to set up National Counter-Terrorism Centres (NCTC) in the states, failed to develop any unanimity even among BJP CMs.

India developing 12 more checkposts for border trade
New Delhi, May 5
India is developing nearly a dozen more international-standard Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along its borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal on the lines of the one which opened last month at the Attari border with Pakistan for boosting trade and economy apart from facilitating trans-border passenger traffic.

Ajmer Sharif yet to get donation from Zardari
New Delhi, May 5
Nearly a month after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari announced a donation of Rs 5 crore for the Ajmer Sharif, the authorities at the sufi shrine say they have still not received even a penny from Islamabad.

Omar red-flags unilateral operations under NCTC
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, May 5
Opposing unilateral operation under NCTC, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today red flagged the proposal seeking its further fine- tuning to address special concerns of the state. “Keeping in view the sensitivity of J&K, the proposed NCTC order detailing the functions, powers of the Standing Council and Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) need to be further fine-tuned,” he said at the CMs’ Conference on the NCTC.

Omar said the powers of arrest and search independently by the NCTC without the involvement of state police would result in overlapping of responsibilities of law enforcing agencies and cause operational difficulties.

The NCTC has been mandated with powers to carry out independent operations with the option to inform the state governments after the operation has been launched and concluded and after the arrests made.

“This provision needs modification. It must be made mandatory for NCTC Director to have prior consultation with the state DGP and joint operations be necessitated with the state police,” said Omar.

The CM also said the NCTC as it is lays down provisions as stringent as under the AFSPA, which the state is seeking to revoke.

“The provision in the NCTC of handing over arrested persons and seized material to the nearest police station as soon as possible makes the Home Ministry’s order as stringent as the existing provision under the AFSPA. This is likely to have far-reaching consequences in our state, which is politically sensitive. We have been advocating for revocation of AFSPA,” the CM said in his first major criticism of the Centre.

Referring to its structure, Omar said its first two jobs - collection and dissemination of intelligence and intelligence analysis were being handled by central agencies under Multi Agency Centre (MAC) set up in December, 2008.

“The vesting of NCTC with powers to undertake independent operations must be revisited to make it consultative. Joint operations with state police should be the preferred methodology to get desired outcomes,” the CM said.

Assault on federalism, can’t accept it: Badal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 5
Vehemently opposing the idea of setting up the NCTC, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said “we cannot accept it in its present form” and termed the situation “worse than the Emergency days”. During the Emergency (1975-77), Badal was among those leaders jailed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Speaking at a specially convened Chief Ministers conference on the proposed creation of the NCTC here today, Badal said “The Centre should review and reverse the move on the NCTC and hold fresh talks with chief ministers”. Badal, who was the first CM to speak, set the tone for the meeting.

Accompanied by a battery of senior officials, the Akali leader, who, for long has championed the cause of federalism, was at his critical best saying “this is the latest example of the Centre’s assault on federalism. We can not accept it”

The Chief Minister listed his objections on three broad issues - practical, legal and constitutional.

Punjab, he said, was the best example of state control over operations in fighting militancy. It was the state police that successfully led and won the battle against militancy, Badal reminded the audience that included top officials of the Intelligence Bureau, who have served in the state during militancy.

No unanimity in BJP on Centre’s role on terror
Faraz Ahmad/TNS

New Delhi, May 5
The one-day Chief Ministers’ conference called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop consensus on the Home Ministry proposal to set up National Counter-Terrorism Centres (NCTC) in the states, failed to develop any unanimity even among BJP CMs.

While Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan commended Home Minister P. Chidambaram for his efforts to curb Left-Wing Extremism, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh having secured the release of Sukma Collector Alex Menon from the Maoists only two days ago, also went soft on the Centre saying, “I agree that there is a need for a separate agency at a national level for gathering information, maintaining and analysing data, and exchanging and reviewing these data with different states…”

At the other extreme, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi virtually accused the UPA government at the Centre of being in cahoots with the IM.

Modi’s close friend and comrade Tamil Nadu CM J Jalayalithaa, concurred with him saying, “There cannot be a NCTC in the manner proposed,” and added, “the standard operating procedures are only worthy of outright contemptuous dsmissal.”

Speaking almost in the same vein, prominent UPA ally, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said: “The exercise of police functions should remain the prerogative of the states…I would therefore, strongly urge the Union Government to withdraw the Order (on NCTC).”

India developing 12 more checkposts for border trade
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, May 5
India is developing nearly a dozen more international-standard Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along its borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal on the lines of the one which opened last month at the Attari border with Pakistan for boosting trade and economy apart from facilitating trans-border passenger traffic.

In the first phase, seven ICPs would be set up at Raxaul and Jogbani (in Bihar) along the border with Nepal, Moreh (in Manipur) along the border with Myanmar and Akhaura (in Tripura), Dawki (in Meghalaya) and Petrapole (in West Bengal) along the border with Bangladesh. The ICPs are being commissioned to secure India's borders against interests hostile to the country and to put in place systems that would interdict such elements while facilitating legitimate trade and commerce and as a part of an overall strategy for more improved border management, official sources said.

The ICPs, being built at an expenditure ranging from Rs.35 crore to Rs.170 crores each, would be sanitised zones with dedicated passenger and cargo terminals and space for regulatory agencies besides the necessary modern facilities under one roof.

Apart from passenger terminal buildings, adequate customs and immigration facilities, weigh bridges, security and scanning equipment, currency exchange booths, internet facility, warehouse and cold storage, health and quarantine facilities, clearing agents, banks, scanners, close circuit televisions, public address systems, parking, cafeteria, hotels and other public utilities would be available at the ICPs.

Ajmer Sharif yet to get donation from Zardari

New Delhi, May 5
Nearly a month after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari announced a donation of Rs 5 crore for the Ajmer Sharif, the authorities at the sufi shrine say they have still not received even a penny from Islamabad.

According to Alhaj Syed Wahid Hussain Chishti, general secretary of Anjuman Khuddam-e-Khawaja Sahav Syedzadgaan Ajmer Sharif, an official from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi did contact the shrine authorities within days of Zardari’s visit to Ajmer on April 8 to ascertain where the donation money was proposed to be spent.

After that, there has been no communication from Islamabad or the Pakistani mission in New Delhi in this regard. ‘’We usually spend donations for noble causes such as increasing facilities for pilgrims, opening schools and hospitals and propagating the message of universal brotherhood,’’ Chishti said at a press conference.

Responding to a question, he said Zardari’s offering was the highest-ever donation announced for the shrine. He recalled that the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had presented Rs ten lakh in cash on the spot during his visit to Ajmer in 2005. Meanwhile, Chishti said India should allow 80-year-old Pakistani national Mohammad Khalil Chisti to return to his country on humanitarian grounds since he has been keeping unwell. — TNS