The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Elite force to tackle terrorism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Elite force to tackle terrorism

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: An elite force will be constituted in Andhra Pradesh soon on the lines of the Greyhounds — the special anti-naxalite police outfit — to tackle terrorism.

The new force will have two wings, one for collecting information about the terrorists’ plans to serve as a counter-intelligence agency and the other for field operations.

A decision to constitute the new force was taken by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at a meeting here on Tuesday to review the law and order situation in the State against the backdrop of the twin bomb blasts in Hyderabad and the spate of bomb threats on Monday.

Addressing a press conference later, Dr. Reddy declared that “the force will be powerful, vibrant and dynamic to deal firmly with terrorism and threats to the security of the State. It will be developed as a world class organisation equal to the Union Government’s Research Analysis Wing, giving the much needed teeth to the intelligence network.”

He said those taken in for the anti-terrorist force would be paid 25 to 50 per cent higher salaries than the regular police.

Fifty per cent of its candidates would be recruited directly and the other half filled by deputations.

It would have its own hierarchy of superiors such as IGs and DGs. An experts’ committee had been appointed to work out the details.

It will submit a report by Monday next after a meeting with Chief Secretary J. Harinarayan.

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