The Hindu : National : Mumbai NSG hub becomes operational today

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Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
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Mumbai NSG hub becomes operational today

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will formally declare operational the first regional hub of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The hub of the specialised anti-terrorist force, set up in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, will be the first in a series. Three more hubs of the elite commando force in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata will be inaugurated on July 1.

The Mumbai hub, spread across 23 acres, is located at Marol in suburban Andheri, close to the airport. Once it is operationalised, the response time of NSG crack commandos in countering any terrorist action in the entire western region will be reduced significantly, according to a Home Ministry spokesman. On November 26 last, the delayed arrival of an NSG team from Delhi meant loss of precious time in launching operations to flush out the terrorists who attacked Mumbai.

The NSG hub in Chennai is built on an 85-acre plot near Vandalur, while in Hyderabad it has come up on a 22-acre plot at Trimulghery. In Kolkata, the hub is situated on a 20-acre plot at Badu.

The spokesman said all the State governments, including civil and police administration, the Airport Authority of India and the Army, extended full assistance in establishing the four hubs within the scheduled time frame.

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