Nuclear plants can be targets of terror: home minister
Nov 23, 2006 - 1:41:00 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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Maoist violence, Patil pointed out, was still an ominous threat and said improvement in delivery systems in impoverished swathes of the country's hinterland along with firm police action would act as an effective counter.
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By Indo Asian News Service,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) Home Minister Shivraj Patil Wednesday warned that India's nuclear power plants can become targets of terror, especially after the recent India-US nuclear deal.
Speaking at the annual conference of Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police here, Patil warned critical infrastructure in India faced a serious threat from terrorists.
'In view of the recent India-US Agreement on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, our atomic power plants have become highly vulnerable,' he said.
'Similarly, installations of the oil and natural gas sector, defence, communications and IT sector are equally vulnerable. There are reports to indicate that some of our multi-purpose projects and shipyards continue to be targets of terrorist groups.'
'Some Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives are also being trained specifically for sabotage of oil installations. There are plans to 'occupy' some uninhabited islands and use them as bases for launching operations on the Indian coast.'
Urging police forces in the country not to let their guard down and to be constantly vigilant about terrorists intent on rupturing the nation's secular fabric, Patil said 'new age terror' must be faced resolutely.
The minister said India's enemies were determined to attack the country's economic and industrial targets and premier institutions of higher learning and research.
'The mischief mongers are constantly on the lookout for new targets, adopting new strategies and tactics, and widening its sphere of operations,' he warned.
'The challenge of terrorism must be faced resolutely and the police and security agencies cannot afford to lower their guard in countering this major threat to national security.'
Listing out the major attacks in the space of a year - the serial blasts in several markets of Delhi on Diwali eve last year, the attack at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts and the bomb blasts at Malegaon in September - Patil said the perpetrators were also intent on generating a communal backlash.
Emphasising that even coastal areas were also coming under increased threat from terrorist groups that have decided to use the sea route to infiltrate into India, Patil said security had been beefed up by establishing marine police stations and improving infrastructure.
'They (militants) also plan to induct arms and ammunition through the sea routes. Simultaneously, we understand they have been collecting information regarding location of various refineries on or near the Indian coastline,' he said.
Though violence levels in Jammu and Kashmir had reduced, Patil said there were clear attempts by terrorists to thwart the political processes aimed at reconciliation.
'The penchant of various terrorist outfits operating in the state to indulge in wanton violence means that the safety of soft targets will continue to remain a priority concern for the security forces,' he said.
'While some commendable successes have been achieved on the anti-militancy front with several modules of Pakistani-based outfits having been neutralised, several top commanders of militant outfits killed and subversives and over ground workers arrested, the period ahead should be that of consolidating these gains.'
Maoist violence, Patil pointed out, was still an ominous threat and said improvement in delivery systems in impoverished swathes of the country's hinterland along with firm police action would act as an effective counter.
'I had stressed on putting in place a responsive, transparent and sensitive administrative machinery to enable effective redressal of public grievances and improvement in the delivery mechanisms aimed at social reconstruction and accelerated integrated development.'
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