New Delhi, July 30: India got its first hub of National Security Guard commandos after government promised four such centres as a result of the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008.
After the Mumbai terror attacks, the cabinet had approved setting up of NSG hubs in the metropolitan cities to quickly mobilise commandos in case of a terrorist strike. Home Minister P Chidambaram today inaugurated the first of the promised centres in Mumbai’s Marol suburb.
“We are happy that the first of the four hubs has been inaugurated and the remaining three will be operational from tomorrow,” Chidambaram said. “I am very happy that I have kept the promise. This will increase confidence of the people of the country that they are secured,” the Home Minister said.
Jayant Patil, Maharashtra Home minister, said “we have learnt a lesson from the 26/11 attack and we are implementing the suggestions given in the Ram Pradhan committee report and the results will be seen soon”. Police forces in mega cities will be provided with helicopters like in New York and London and other big cities of the world, he said.
“There are plans to provide helicopters for the mega city policing. So when mega city policing project is complete, mega cities will have helicopters,” Chidambaram told reporters.
“That is the way policing is done in cities like New York and London and other big cities,” he said.
The 23-acre hub located at Marol, a suburb in Andheri, is close to the Airport and with its operationalisation, the response time of the commando force in countering any terrorist action in the western region would be reduced “very significantly”.
“I am sure that NSG Mumbai hub will live up to its expectation”, the minister said. Chidambaram will inaugurate similar hubs at Chennai and Hyderabad. Kolkata’s NSG hub would also be inaugurated tomorrow.
The Home Minister said 1080 men have been recruited for these hubs and more were being inducted as two additional regional centres of NSG were being set up at Jodhpur and Guwahati.
Chidambaram denied that Army was reluctant in sending its officers to NSG.
Asked who would be the first respondent in case of a terror strike, he said “it has to be the state police. But if the situation involves terror strike or anti-hijack operations, the state government may seek help of the NSG teams as they were specially trained to handle such situations.”
To a question whether 23 acre land was sufficient for setting up of the hub, Chidambaram said “we all should learn to use the land economically.”
The hub at Chennai is built on a 85-acre plot in Nedunkundram, while in Hyderabad it is located on a 22-acre plot at Trimulghery. In Kolkata it is situated on a 20-acre plot at Badu.
Pre-fabricated and permanent structures have been constructed by the National Building Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) to station NSG commandos at these hubs.
The state governments, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the Army have been involved in the process of establishing these units.
Commandos drawn from the Army and paramilitary force will man these hubs.
-Agencies