Rajnath urges MPs to suggest Home Ministry rejig

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asked members of Parliament committee attached to his Ministry for new ideas to reorganise it to meet rapidly changing security environment and emerging threats like cyber crime.

"While some changes have taken place in the Ministry's structure and processes in the last 70 years, there is still need to start a larger discussion, and generate new ideas to reorganise it...," Rajnath Singh said while chairing a Consultative Committee meeting attended by eight Lok Sabha and seven Rajya Sabha members here.

The Minister said it was just a beginning and, if necessary, further discussion would be held.

He said it was for the first time that Consultative Committee's suggestions were being sought on restructuring/reorganising of the Home Ministry.

Rajnath Singh said the members' suggestions have been taken note of and would be examined. He also suggested a committee of professionals be set up for detailed study of the issue.

"The members said they will provide more inputs in due course and, if needed, the subject may be discussed in the committee's subsequent meetings," a Ministry statement said.

The members were told about existing work load in the Ministry, requirement for long-term planning to deal with issues like terrorism and narcotics, apart from the need for police reforms, cyber security, check on porous borders, and revisiting various laws.

Dr Bhagirath Prasad, Devendra alias Bhole Singh, Geetha Kothapalli, Hukum Singh, Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav, Kirti (Jha) Azad, Dr Thokchom Meinya and T.G. Venkatesh Babu from the Lok Sabha and Bhubaneswar Kalita, Dr K. Keshava Rao, Mukul Roy, Ram Gopal Yadav, Ranee Narah, S. Muthukaruppan and Shantaram Naik from the Rajya Sabha attended the meeting.

Ministers of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Kiren Rijiju, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Secretary (Border Management), Secretary (Official Languages) and senior officers from the Home Ministry were also present.

--IANS

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