State Govt to set up ATC

By Nandini Sharma

HYDERABAD: Having suffered serious humiliation at the hands of terror groups during the last 15 years, the State Government has finally woke up and declared a war on terror by deciding to set up “Anti-Terrorist Cell” in the Intelligence Wing.This was decided at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The ATC would function on the lines of elite anti-Naxalite Grey Hounds which had been successfully hunting down the Naxalites. The State Government was in a piquant situation after the Saturday’s twin blasts and the Chief Minister himself admitted that the State police do not have wherewithal to deal with such crisis.

The post-bombing scenario was even pathetic. The State police wing has no information with regard to the terror groups and their modus operandi. Besides the political parties, people from cross sections of the society demanded that the Government declare a war on terror.

Having been cornered by all sections, Rajasekhara Reddy government was trying to wriggle out of the situation and ultimately it was decided to have an exclusive wing in the Intelligence department.Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat before leaving for the camp office, the Chief Minister said that a high-level committee comprising Director-Gerenal of Police MA Basith, Intelligence chief K Aravinda Rao and a few other senior police officials will finalise the structure, duties and responsibilities of the ATC.

The committee would submit a detailed report to Chief Secretary J Hari Narayan on Monday and the Chief Minister himself will review it next day.The proposals would be placed before the Cabinet in the next meeting and subsequently necessary infrastructure will be created.

The Chief Minister said that the personnel to be attached to the ATC will be trained at par with international standards, he said.