States rush to get NSG hub

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing that the government would set up four NSG hubs in different parts of the country, there has been a rush among states seeking to set up the elite force in their respective areas.Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have already evinced interest to get one of the NSG hubs in their respective states following the successful 60-hour-long operation conducted by the elite commando force when 10 terrorists seized Mumbai late last month."I have requested the home minister P Chidambaram to set up one of the proposed NSG hubs in our state," Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy said after meeting Chidambaram here.The National Security Guards (NSG) is the premier security agency set up by the government to deal with national security.It is mandated to participate in anti-terror, assault, anti-hijack and hostage rescue operations. The NSG played a key role in dealing with the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on Nov 26.Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said if the Centre sets up an NSG hub in Guwahati, it would be of great help in tackling terrorism in the entire north-eastern region."I have requested the home minister to set up one of the hubs in Guwahati," Gogoi said. Prime minister Manmohan Singh, in his opening remark at the all-party meeting held on November 30, said steps have been initiated to establish four NSG hubs in different parts of the country.Tamil Nadu has also requested the Central government to allocate one of the proposed NSG hubs in Chennai. "I have requested the Cen tre to station one NSG hub in Chennai," Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi said after a meeting with Chidambaram.Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, while meeting the prime minister on Saturday, requested him to station one battalion of the elite NSG in the state."We are ready to give whatever infrastructure is required for accommodating one or two battalions of the NSG in Mumbai immediately," Bhujbal said. "We plan to raise a State Security Guards (SSG)...till the time the new force is ready. We want Centre to station NSG in the state to tackle any possible terror situation," he said. The PM had said the principal antiterrorist force of the country would be given additional facilities and the size of the force is being augmented.Maharashtra has decided to name the proposed specialised security agency as Force One. Initially, it was said the agency would be called Maharashtra Security Guards (MSG). Personnel for this organisation will be trained on the lines of the National Security Guard (NSG). Former chief minister Vilasraod Deshmukh had announced to set up a band of highly-trained guards after the 26/11 terror attack in which more than 170 people were killed.The state has announced that the best officers from the police force would be selected for Force One, which would be operational in four months.