NEW DELHI: The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), an anti-terror agency proposed by the previous UPA government, has been kept in abeyance due to opposition by some states, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said today.
“Operationalisation of NCTC has been kept in abeyance as some states raised concerns regarding its structure, functions and mandate. A final decision on operationalisation of NCTC is yet to be taken,” he told Rajya Sabha in reply to a written question.
Ahir said the NCTC was mandated to draw up plans and coordinate action for counter terrorism with other stakeholders including anti-terrorist organisations in states.
The NCTC was proposed to be set up after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack but could not see the light of the day due to opposition from the then BJP chief ministers including the then CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi.
The proposal of the NCTC was mooted by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram.
A political consensus even on a watered-down proposal for NCTC did not got favourable response from any quarters forcing Chidambaram’s successor in the Home Ministry Sushilkumar Shinde to say in 2013 that the anti-terror hub proposal seems to have gone into deep freeze.
Shinde had said he tried his best to get the consent of the chief ministers, including Modi, to set up the NCTC but failed. (AGENCIES)
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