Bangalore: Anti-Terrorist Force Caught in Red Tape
Ramu Patil/Newindpress
Bangalore, Feb 6: Despite terror threatening to raise its ugly head in our backyard, a proposal to raise an Anti-Terrorist Commando Force (ATCF) in Karnataka remains entangled in red-tape.
Former Chief Minister SM Krishna had first made a proposal in the 2003 state budget (when he was CM) to raise the ATCF. This, over two years before the December 2005 terror attack at IISc.
During Dharam Singh’s regime it was partially approved and the Karnataka State Reserve Police Force (KSRP) was asked to raise the Force.
“The partial approval was the problem. Government asked the KSRP to raise the special force on the lines of NSG and SPG and rejected its request to give same privileges to the members of the force.
The privileges were meant to motivate quality KSRP personnel to volunteer for ATCF, but the government did not agree,” a senior police officer told this website’s newspaper.
“That was the reason why the force has remained on paper till date,” the officer added.
Sources said the KSRP asked for additional insurance cover, Rs 10 lakh exgratia and 50 per cent additional salary to the members of the commando force.
“NSG and SPG personnel get all these privileges. When we expect people to be part of a risk scenario, we need to give them these things and motivate them,” sources said.
Even Karnataka’s Anti-Naxal Force are given some of these facilities. However, it is very little compared to what the State Police is asking for the ATCF.
“The ANF gets 50 per cent more on their basic salary and what is being asked for the ATCF is 50 per cent more on their gross salary. The insurance cover and exgratia amount for the ANF is also too little,” sources said.
As per the ATCF proposal, the KSRP are expected to raise a unit comprising 120 personnel trained with NSG, SPG, Army and Paramilitary forces. Based in Bangalore, the team will be called in to deal with terror-related situations.
Currently, such situations are tackled by NSG commandos who have to be flown in from New Delhi in the shortest possible time. But that still takes time, and damage could have been caused by the time the NSGs arrive.
Therefore, the need for ATCF in Karnataka itself, sources said. Additional Director General of Police (KSRP) A R Infant said the ATCF proposal is still before the government. “Once approved we will raise the force,” he added.