No discussion on NCTC in Apr 15 CMs conference

The proposed anti-terror body NCTC, which has been facing strong opposition from non-Congress chief ministers, is unlikely to be discussed at the chief ministers' conference to be held here on April 15.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also not attend the meeting, which will deliberate on issues like police reforms, maintenance of public order, protection of STs and SCs besides others.
Recent incidents of communal violence in many parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh, are likely to be flagged by the Centre in the conference and the chief ministers will be asked to tackle such incidents firmly and without delay.

A separate meeting of chief ministers on internal security is expected to be held next month where the issue of NCTC may be discussed, officials said.
The Centre has already suggested that NCTC would be out of the ambit of Intelligence Bureau and it would conduct any search operation or arrest anyone in any state only after informing the state police chief.
Those opposed to NCTC have been maintaining that allowing the anti-terror body to conduct operations unilaterally would infringe on the states' powers and hurt the federal structure of the country.

The issue of setting up the National Counter Terrorism Centre is being opposed by chief ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Narendra Modi (Gujarat), J Jayalalitha (Tamil Nadu) and Naveen Patnaik (Odisha).

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said he would discuss the issue of NCTC with the chief ministers and try to break the logjam. He said NCTC would come for sure but only after every chief minister gives approval.
The last meeting of the Chief Ministers, held on March 5 last year had failed to evolve a consensus on NCTC, a pet project of former Home Minister P Chidambaram.