The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Karunanidhi takes stock of security scenario

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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Karunanidhi takes stock of security scenario

S. Vijay Kumar

Urgent meeting of senior police officers held at Secretariat

— Photo:DIPR

taking stock: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with senior police officers at a meeting to discuss security arrangements at the Secretariat in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will seek a detachment of the elite National Security Guards to be stationed at Chennai. The move comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing that NSG units would be established in different parts of the country. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi confirmed this while responding to a question here on Monday.

At an urgent meeting of senior police officials at the Secretariat, Mr. Karunanidhi took stock of the security scenario and preparedness of the police force in Tamil Nadu. Chief Secretary K.S. Sripathi and Home Secretary S. Malathi briefed him.

Among other issues, the reaction mechanism of the law enforcing agencies in the event of an emergency was discussed at length. Mr. Sripathi will hold a high-level meeting on Tuesday in which critical issues, including upgrading infrastructure of Special Forces, would be taken up, police sources said.

The Tamil Nadu Commando Force, which presently has 290 well-trained commandos, will request for acquiring modern weaponry, sophisticated gadgets and specialised training facilities, Inspector General of Police (Operations), Ashutosh Shukla, told The Hindu.

Asked whether there was any plan to have joint exercises with other agencies, a senior police official said the State police already had adequate expertise.

“At the Tamil Nadu Commando School, we have experts drawn from different agencies, including defence forces, who train snipers, bomb detection and disposal and anti-sabotage techniques. It has been planned to deploy companies of the Tamil Nadu Special Police (Special Force), Veerapuram, strategically at vulnerable areas for better accessibility,” he said.

Steps would be taken to integrate the available expertise and infrastructure to create a common platform for strengthening the skills of the force in different areas, including investigation, intelligence and special operations, he said and added that the Union Home Secretary would soon convene a meeting in New Delhi to discuss strategies on coastal security issues, the official added.

Inspector General of Police (Special Task Force) C. Sylendra Babu said the STF was offering training in jungle warfare to commandos attached to the Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the Goa Police.

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