Narendra Modi keen to implement Justice Punchhi Commission's recommendations

He urged all Chief Ministers to rise above political affiliations and keep national security paramount

Anxious about the rise in global terrorism and frequent strikes including in neighbourhood, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all Chief Ministers to rise above political affiliations and keep national security "paramount" while countering the terror menace.

Modi also indicated that his government is keen to implement the Justice Punchhi Commission's recommendations on the Inter State Council (ISC) to improve centre-state relations but hastened to add that he would prefer a "consensus" to start the process.

Addressing Chief Ministers at the concluding session of the day-long meeting of the ISC, being held after ten years, he asked the states to focus on intelligence sharing and asserted that "the union and the state governments in India cannot ignore what is happening across the world today."

"On this issue, he (Modi) urged all concerned to keep politics aside and keep national security paramount," said an official release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) late on Saturday night.

His remarks came close on the heels of terror attacks in Bangladesh and France.

Citing his recent interaction with state police chiefs at their conference, the Prime Minister urged all Chief Ministers to follow-up on the discussions that took place there.

He stressed on maintaining a visible presence of police forces, and underscored the importance of a good CCTV network in curbing crime, adding privately-installed CCTVs are also extremely useful in this regard.

He also said that discussions on the Justice Punchhi Commission's recommendations on the ISC were productive and it will continue further till "consensus evolves on the recommendations".

Modi thanked all the participating Chief Ministers and Lt Governors for their suggestions and views expressed on various agenda items discussed at the meeting, and expressed happiness at the near-total acceptance of Aadhaar as a tool to promote good governance and transparency.

Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), J Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu) and Mehbooba Mufti of NDA-ruled Jammu and Kashmir did not participate.

The five-member Punchhi Commission headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi submitted its report to the then Home Minister P Chidambaram in April 2010.

Set up in April 2007, it had taken a fresh look at the relative roles and responsibilities of the various levels of government and their inter-relations, and among other issues, recommended that ISC needs to be "substantially strengthened".

It further had said the council must meet at least thrice in a year on an agenda evolved after proper consultation with states.