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Aulakh: regional hubs will reduce NSG’s response time

Staff Reporter

KOLKATA: The regional hub of the National Security Guards (NSG), with a strength of about 250 commandos, was operationalised here on Wednesday.

After the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26 last year, the need for a highly trained special force that would be able to conduct anti-terror operations was felt, said N.P.S. Aulakh, Director-General of the NSG.

“The objective of raising regional hubs at Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata is to reduce the response time at the time of a terror strike when help from the NSG is requisitioned,” he added.

On the counter-terror operations in the northeast, he said that at the time of an attack, the State police is the first to respond.

If NSG commandos were needed, they would definitely go to the area. The NSG commandos were currently stationed at the Salt Lake Stadium, but would be moved to a permanent location — 23 acres of land provided by the Airport Authority of India — at Badu by November 2009.

According to the charter of the NSG, it would carry out anti-terror, anti-hijacking and hostage-rescue operations. It would also train the State police in VIP security, bomb-disposal and commando training.

Mr. Aulakh announced that the Central government had sanctioned two regional centres in Hyderabad and Kolkata. Search for a suitable location for the centre was on as the facility would have about 5,000 commandos.

The hub was inaugurated by the State Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty. Also present at the occasion were State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen and Director General of West Bengal Police Bhupinder Singh.

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