Hyderabad: Home Minister P Chidambaram inaugurated a regional hub of the elite anti-terror National Security Guard (NSG) on Wednesday and said the city would soon get a training centre with over 5,000 commandos.
"We had made a promise after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in November that we will set up four regional centres of the NSG so that the reach and capacity to tackle terror is considerably enhanced throughout the country. It took several hours to reach the force from Manesar, Gurgaon to Mumbai. Therefore the idea was born that we should set up regional hubs," he said.
The one opened at Hyderabad was the third NSG hub to be commissioned in the country. Chidambaram arrived in Hyderabad after inaugurating an NSG hub in Chennai.
The first regional hub in Mumbai was formally commissioned on Tuesday and the fourth is scheduled to be launched at Kolkata later on Wednesday.
"We had promised that the regional hubs will be set up by June 30. We were able to keep that promise. In the space of 24 hours we will inaugurate all four hubs," the Home Minister said.
The regional hub will have 241 commandos. The function to formally commission the hub was held at the old airport but the hub is coming up on 23 acres of land at Tirmulghery. The infrastructure will be built at a cost of Rs 370 million (Rs 37 crore).
Chidambaram said an NSG regional training centre would also be set up in Hyderabad soon.
"Hyderabad of course has special place. Apart from the regional hub, we propose to establish a regional centre of the NSG, replicating Manesar in Ibrahimpatnam in Hyderabad. This will cost a very large amount of money. It will have 5,150 commandos. It will become a major training centre for all south Indian police forces to help them raise commando forces, anti-terror forces, quick reaction teams etc," Chidambaram said.
"The land for the regional centre is being identified. Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has assured me that orders will be issued soon to transfer the land. This is a major project. Manesar took a few years to build. The regional centre will also take a few years," the Home Minister said.
He pointed out that the NSG was a specially trained force. As many as 53 per cent of NSG troops come from the army and 47 from paramilitary forces.
"These are the finest fighting young men in India, especially trained to tackle terrorism and hijacking," he added.
To a query, he said the NSG would not be engaged in operations against the Maoists.
"The NSG hub is intended to deal with terrorist threat and attacks. This is an anti-terrorist and anti-hijacking force. The NSG is not expected to engage in search and destroy operations. We have CRPF (Central Reserve POlice Force) and Cobra teams do this. This state has Greyhounds for that purpose," Chidambaram said.
He said that the NSG had powers to requisition any aircraft anywhere in India.
"Once there is a call, either the state government will airlift them or they will immediately rush to the nearest airport. They can take over any aircraft at any time."
Chief Minister Reddy, meanwhile, pointed out that the OCTOPUS was a state-level elite force raised on the lines of the Greyhounds to deal with terrorism. He said OCTOPUS would work with NSG.
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