Surrender of ULFA leaders, a step in the right direction: Chidambaram - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said the surrender of two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders - Chitraban Hazarika and Shashadhar Chowdhury - should be viewed as a step in the right direction, as the government is firm about tackling insurgency in the north east. "They surrendered to the Border Security Force (BSF) in Tripura on the India-Bangladesh border area during the intervening night of November 4/5, 2009, Chidambaram said while presenting his ministry's report card for the month of November. On the issue of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs), he said approval has been granted for 202 posts for a Field Intelligence Unit for Assam Rifles, acquisition of 600 acres of land for the NSG Regional Centre at Hyderabad, 781 additional posts for upgradation of six CISF Regional Training Centres. He also said, the appointment of 326 Assistant Commandants for all CPMFs on the basis of the results announced by the CPF (AC) Exam-2008, the appointment of 232 doctors for all CPMFs on the basis of results announced by the Medical Officers Selection Board (MOSB)-2008, the conversion of 10 CRPF battalions into Law & Order battalions on the lines of the Rapid Action Force and 199 posts in CISF for providing security to the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, had been approved. He said The KLP of the newly sanctioned Mahila Battalion of CRPF will be at Nagpur, adding that the Interim Project Feasibility Report for the CPMF Housing Project to be taken up on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis by the MHA has been received from the consultant, CRISIL. A stakeholders' conference was held on November 20, 2009 in which discussions were held with the representatives of the developers and bankers, he said. Sanctions amounting to Rs.117.19 crore were issued during the month for various infrastructure works of the CPMFs as follows: CRPF - Rs.43.65 crore SSB - Rs.41.65 crore CISF - Rs.22.18 crore AR - Rs.09.71 crore Sanctions amounting to Rs.46.92 crore were issued during the month for acquisition of land for various establishments of the CPMFs as follows: NSG - Rs.36.00 crore CRPF - Rs.10.57 crore ITBP - Rs.0.35 crore On the issue of border and coastal security, the minister revealed that on the India-Bangladesh border, 25 kilometers of fencing and 40 kilometers of new roads had been completed in November. He also said that 40 kilometers of fencing had been replaced. The erection of poles for floodlighting works had also been completed for a length of 66 kilometers, he added. As far as the India-China border was concerned, 201 kilometers of roads were in various stages of construction and 4.6 kilometers of formation works had been completed in November, Chidambaram said. He said forest clearances were obtained for the following four roads: Pulum Sumda (PDA) - Sumla in Uttarakhand Pulum Sumda (PDA) - Mendi in Uttarakhand Sonam - Pulum Sumda (PDA) in Uttarakhand Jung - Mago - Chuna in Arunachal Pradesh Under the Border Area Development Programme (BAPD), he said Annual Action Plans have been received from 17 States. He said the first installment of Rs.369.62 crore has been released to 15 States, viz., Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, J and K, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. On coastal security, he said M/s. GSL Goa and M/s. GRSE, Kolkata havge been asked to supply 84 boats for coastal patrolling and security up to March 2010. Fifty boats had been delivered up to October 2009, and six more boats were delivered in November, taking the total number of boats delivered to 56. He admitted that the suppliers are still behind schedule and every effort will be made to impress upon them to deliver all 84 boats by March 2010.