Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a separate meeting on May 5 to discuss the formation of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), following a request from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
This message has been conveyed to Ms Jayalalithaa by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
“The Prime Minister has indicated that Saturday, May 5, 2012 would be convenient to him and has asked me to convey the same to the Chief Ministers and request the Chief Ministers to kindly attend the meeting on the date,” Mr Chidambaram said in his letter, which has been released to the media by the State government.
This meeting is being convened in addition to the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security slated for April 16.
“The Prime Minister and I are of the view that the subjects listed in the agenda are important subjects and deserve to be discussed at the annual meeting. Hence, we will discuss the agenda already circulated on April 16, 2012 and we will discuss NCTC on May 5, 2012,” Mr Chidambaram said, and requested Ms. Jayalalithaa to confirm her participation in both the meetings.
Recalling her letter to the Prime Minister on April 2, 2012 in continuation of her earlier letters on March 5, February 20 and February 17, Mr. Chidambaram said the issue of NCTC arose after her letter on February 17, 2012 and letters from some other Chief Ministers.
Specific subject in agenda
“We, therefore, included the NCTC as a specific subject in the agenda and we were confident that we would be able to devote as much time as may be required to discuss the subject. However, since you have requested a separate meeting on the NCTC, the Prime Minister has indicated that Saturday, May 5, 2012 would be convenient to him,” Mr Chidambaram said.
