April 3, 2012
Seperate NCTC meeting on May, Center accepts Mamata Banerjee`s proposition
The Central Government has agreed to discuss the National Counter-Terrorism Centre issue separately with Chief Ministers in Delhi on May 5, 2012 as demanded by Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee.
Union Home Minister, on instruction from Prime Minister, has communicated to the West Bengal Chief Minister that agreeing to her suggestion, the NCTC issue would be discussed at a separate meeting with the Chief Ministers on May 5, 2012.
The Centre had earlier called a meeting of Chief Ministers on April 16, 2012 on internal security, in which the NCTC was listed among 10 issues on the agenda.
Now agreeing with Ms. Banerjee’s suggestion to the Prime Minister made on March 30, 2012 nine issues on the agenda will be discussed on April 16, 2012 they said.
A separate discussion will be held with CMs on May 5, 2012 for discussing the NCTC.
Ms. Banerjee had earlier written to the Prime Minister pointing out that she had received a letter from the Union Home Ministry on the Chief Ministers’ conference on April 16, 2012 where NCTC was among the 10 items on the agenda.
The Trinamool Chairperson had stressed that in such a case the focus of the NCTC, which was a very sensitive issue, would be lost and had suggested it should be the only matter of discussion at the meeting so that all States could express their views properly and other issues could be discussed subsequently. “It is not good to impose or bulldoze in a federal structure,” she had said.
Ms. Banerjee had also said that at her last meeting with the Prime Minister, she had requested him not to go forward with the NCTC without consulting with and consensus among States.
