Badal seeks special security package for border state Punjab to fight narco terrorism

Punjab’s deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday sought a ‘special security package’ for border state to overcome the challenges posed by inimical forces and to combat narco-terrorism effectively.

Speaking in the meeting of chief ministers on Internal Security presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday, Badal made a forceful plea demanding extension of scheme providing funds for , modernisation of police force by minimum 10 years, increase of modernisation budget from Rs 30 crore to Rs 150 crore, allocation of Rs 50 crore for training and equipment of Special Security Group, allowing raising of one more Indian reserve battalion besides introducing basic change in the allocation of Budget from Union government making the schemes state-specific.

 

Seeking a special package from the Union government to tackle Left wing extremism, Badal pleaded that state should be considered category ‘A’ instead of category ‘B’ looking at historic roots of Naxal agitation in Punjab. He also advised to have separate state-specific conference quarterly besides annual conference on internal security.

Badal, who is also holding the portfolio of home minister in Punjab, underlined the threats in the state and sought national support to combat these elements. He said that Punjab being a border state with a 553-km-long international border with Pakistan, that adjoins troubled Jammu and Kashmir, was influenced by sensitive geographical location coupled with various outfits active in the neighbouring states.

Badal said that the matter gets further compounded with inter-state dynamics and national issues having bearing on the state matter besides socio-economic and politico-religious issues affecting the sensitive state.

He said that Punjab was perhaps the only state which has successfully fought with both Naxalism and terrorism. Badal said that Naxal movement was controlled in the 1960s and early 70s and terrorism in the 80s and early 90s. Advising caution against their re-eruption Badal said that being a border state we continuously face threats from across the border for the revival of terrorism and there was a long continuous threat for revival of Naxalism. He underlined that the state was continuously fighting these Battles, besides this facing continuous flow of Weapons, Explosives, Drugs and Fake Currency from across the Borders.