NCTC will help India counter security threats: President Patil

New Delhi, Mar 12 (ANI): President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Monday favoured the setting up of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), saying it would improve India's capability to counter internal security threats.ddressing the joint session of Parliament, Patil said: "The 13 July 2011 bomb blasts in Mumbai and 7 September, 2011 explosion in Delhi were a grim reminder that terrorist modules continue to be active in the country."

"In 2011, eighteen terrorist modules were neutralised. The National Intelligence Grid and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) aim to improve India's capability to counter internal security threats," she added.

President Patil's statement came even as several state governments, including the West Bengal Government headed by key ally-the Trinamool Congress (TMC) --have opposed the NCTC on grounds that it would hurt the federal structure of the country.

The main task of the NCTC would be to ensure that a wide variety of security organizations in the country work in tandem, at least on issues related to terrorism.

It will also have the power to seek information, including documents, reports, transcripts, and cyber information from any agency, including from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency, National Technical Research Organization, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and all seven central armed police forces including the National Security Guard (NSG).

The body, which will function under the Intelligence Bureau, would be been given its own operational wing with powers to arrest and conduct searches under Section 43A of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. (ANI)