NIA Offices In All States By 2024 To Counter Terrorism: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced to open branches of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in all states across the country by 2024 as part of the Centre's plan to build an anti-terrorism network.

The Home Minister made the announcement while speaking at the two-day 'Chintan Shivir' of Home Ministers' of all states here to prepare an action plan for the implementation of the Centre's 'vision 2047'.

"Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and NIA and other agencies are being strengthened to achieve a decisive victory. Efforts are being made to build an anti-terrorism network by setting up NIA branches in all States before 2024," Shah said.

The Home Minister further pointed out that the 'Chintan Shivir' will provide a platform to face all challenges before the Nation in unison taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Minister mentioned that areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, which were once hot spots of violence and unrest, are now becoming hot spots of development.
Noting that cyber-crime is a big challenge before the country and the world today, Shah said the Ministry of Home Affairs is committed to battle against it.
The Home Minister also said that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the three C's approach-- Cooperation, Coordination and Collaboration--- under 'Whole of Government' and 'Team India Approach'.

He later mentioned that Modi-led government is determined to save the country and the youth from the menace of narcotics and our policy is showing results, under which drugs worth more than Rs. 20,000 crores have been seized so far.

Pointing that nature of crime is changing in today's world and crime is becoming borderless, the Minister stressed that the states should formulate a common strategy to fight against it.

The chief ministers of eight states and home ministers and deputy chief ministers of 16 states gathered at the event, which is being chaired by Amit Shah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the session on Friday through video-conferencing.

"In our Constitution, law and order is a state subject...but we can be successful against trans-border or borderless crimes only when all states sit together to ponder over them, make a common strategy and (make) efforts to curb them," Shah said in the address.

The 'Chintan Shivir' has been organised with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'Vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech.

The two-day event will see state leaders discussing cybercrime management, modernisation of police forces, increase in usage of information technology in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, and other internal security issues.

"The role of 'Nari Shakti' is important to achieve the goal of 'Developed India by 2047' and special emphasis will be given to the safety of women and creating a safe environment for them. The aim of the conference is also to facilitate national policy-making and better planning and coordination in the above-mentioned areas," the ministry earlier said in a statement about the 'Chintan Shivir'.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar-- both having charges of the Home Ministry of their states-- skipped the event in which the development of an eco-system for cyber crime management, modernization of police forces, increase in usage of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues will be discussed.

The event, which will culminate on Friday, was attended by Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Assam, Goa, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura-- all having charges of Home Ministry in their respective states.

Besides, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Governor of Rajasthan; Home Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Telangana; Finance Minister of Jharkhand among others took part in the event which is organized with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(With Inputs from ANI)

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