In a move to counter objections to National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Centre is set to put a question mark on the preparedness of states that have allegedly failed to provide adequate intelligence inputs to the existing Multi-Agency Centre (MAC).
At a meeting of chief ministers on internal security Monday, the Union home ministry would present figures relating to functioning of MAC with respect to contribution in providing intelligence inputs (97 per cent) and the states, which account for only three per cent.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the meeting to be attended by Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaa and Uttar Pradesh’s Akhilesh Yadav, among others.
Mamata Banerjee, leader of key UPA constituent Trinamul Congress, will not attend Monday’s chief
ministers’ meeting, but will take part in another CMs’ meeting on NCTC on May 5. Finance minister Amit Mitra will represent the West Bengal government at Monday’s meeting convened by the
Union home ministry, a source said.
Mamata and Jaya have been against the idea of NCTC from the beginning.
This posturing by the home ministry may, however, further antagonise CMs who meet exclusively to discuss NCTC on May 5. The home ministry, in its 67-page agenda note for Monday, a copy of which is with this newspaper, has drawn up plans explaining how states need to pull up socks and how MAC will graduate to turn into NCTC.
It has suggested creation of a 'separate intelligence cadre' in states to strengthen intelligence gathering. “97 per cent of MAC inputs are being generated by central agencies,” MHA has noted.
Of the remaining three per cent, almost 95 per cent are coming from J&K. MAC was activated after 26/11 and state representation was ensured through subsidiary multi-agency centres.