Centre plans NSG hub, CoBRA unit in every state

The government said it would strive to establish a National Security Guard hub or an equivalent commando force in every state in due course to strengthen the national security apparatus.

Home Minister P Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour on Tuesday that the government was trying to have these units soon, though it was a long-term plan in view of the constraints of manpower and training.

The government has got four regional NSG hubs in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, which were operationalised before July 1 this year in the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26 last year.

Chidambaram said strengthening of the national security apparatus, including commando units, was an ongoing process, with regular reviews based on internal security situation. The government, he said, had already approved setting up of regional centres of the NSG at Kolkata and Hyderabad, apart from raising 10 Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA) to be raised during the three-year period from 2008-09.

The Centre would also provide assistance for raising commandos in states, apart from upgrading the existing four training centres for Central Paramilitary Forces at Silchar (Assam), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), Sapri (Himachal Pradesh) and Gawaldham (Uttarkhand), which would train the commando components of India Reserve Battalions.

Chidambaram said the Centre had already approved raising of commando companies by the states within the existing India Reserve Battalions and the state armed police.

The government has sanctioned 88 commando companies to the states, who have been sanctioned IRBs from 2007-08 onwards, and an assistance of Rs 264 crore has been provided at Rs 3 crore per company for training and equipment of these companies, each having around 100 personnel.

Other state governments were also requested to raise two commando companies and seek assistance from the Centre for additional equipment and training, he said.

To queries from Anurag Thakur and Virender Kashyap (both of the Bharatiya Janata Party), Chidambaram said the Centre had already approved raising of two commando companies through the existing IRBs for Himachal Pradesh with Rs 3 crore each for training and equipment.

"Raising of NSG hubs and commando units is not an easy matter. It is a complex exercise," he said.