'No scope for slip-up in vigilance against terror'

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the recent serial blasts in Mumbai have come as a warning to the nation that there cannot be any laxity in the vigil against terrorism.

"Last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai warn us that there cannot be any slip-up in our vigilance as far as the fight against terrorism is concerned. This is a long battle to be fought jointly by the central government, state governments and the common man," Singh said in his Independence Day address.

Twenty-five people were killed in the serial blasts in Mumbai on July 13 at Dadar, Zaveri Bazar and Opera House areas.

Singh said the government has been steadily strengthening intelligence and security agencies and will continue to do so in future.

Soon after these serial blasts, Home Minister P Chidambaram had sought to draw a distinction between intelligence failure and lack of intelligence input and maintained that it was a case where the latter was true.

Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime Minister also expressed concern over the issue of Naxalism which he had earlier described as the biggest threat to internal security.

"We are also taking all possible steps to overcome the challenge of Naxalism. We want to eradicate the very reasons which give rise to this problem," Singh said.

He stated that a new scheme has been started for the accelerated development of 60 backward and tribal-dominated districts and an amount of Rs 3,300 crore will be spent on the scheme in a period of two years.