Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 7 (ANI): Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Amit Shah, conducted a comprehensive review of sensitive matters, including law and order and public safety, during a high-level meeting held in Ahmedabad ahead of the Diwali celebrations.
According to the release by the CMO, the meeting was held in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the State Home Department, and various security agencies also participated and deliberated on matters concerning security arrangements.
Union Home Minister held discussions with senior officials and provided necessary guidance on a wide range of subjects, including law and order, cybercrime, police modernisation, border and coastal security, narcotics substance control, disaster management, forensic affairs, counter-terrorism, inter-state cooperation, the criminal justice system, the CAA, the Census, the Agniveer scheme, prison administration, and special courts.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs presented an overview of various issues, the prevailing situation in the state, and operational performance concerning law and order. Union Home Minister offered necessary suggestions and directives to the State Government on key issues, including the drought situation in the state, farmers’ concerns, ‘Love Jihad’, economic offences, the situation in border districts, and encroachments.
Senior officials briefed the Union Home Minister on the status of various matters, including the situation concerning illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the state, POCSO cases, NDPS (Narcotics Drugs) cases, the implementation of ICJS/CCTNS, FIRs, charge sheets, the ‘e-Sakshya’ application, and e-summons. They also provided updates on the Medico-Legal Examination and Post-Mortem Reporting System (MedLEaPR), the Model Prisons Act, the Model Prison Manual, mobile forensic vans, the Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO), manpower requirements across various departments and organisations, and plans to address these requirements. Discussions were also held on various matters concerning the state’s judiciary, including the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), court-related affairs, evening courts, expediting proceedings with a focus on technical evidence, necessary recruitment within the courts, increasing the number of public prosecutors, and strengthening the public prosecution system.
Furthermore, senior officials, including representatives from central agencies and relevant State Government departments, such as the Home Department, deliberated on the implementation of various cybercrime-related measures. Key topics included the establishment of S4C, the 1930 helpline, the Central Investigation Analytical Repository, the deployment of ‘Cyber Commandos’, counter-terrorism efforts, the dedicated UA(P)A cell, the model Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) structure, and the use of the iMOT portal, including regular data updates.
Discussions also covered the NTDFAC, the status of the ‘District Police Module’, data on the duration of stay of foreign nationals, the status of the use of the ‘Foreigners Identification Portal’ in the state, district-wise citizenship data (under the CAA), extradition arrangements for fugitives, and the PSARA portal. The meeting also reviewed the state’s current status and progress in implementing measures across these areas.
Detailed discussions were held on several matters, including coastal security and suspicious activities related to border security; the status of the ‘Vibrant Village Programme’; the establishment, capacity building, and operational readiness of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF); the availability and implementation of the State Disaster Management Fund (SDMF) and the National Disaster Mitigation Fund; the status of urban flood mitigation schemes and projects in Ahmedabad; the current status of ‘enemy properties’ within the state; and issues concerning arms licences.
Constructive deliberations were also held on measures to bring about improvements in these areas.
State Chief Secretary, Manoj Kumar Das briefed the Union Minister and senior officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on the follow-up actions taken and the implementation status of matters discussed during previous meetings with the Ministry.
He provided detailed information on the suggestions made regarding security and border management, along with the progress achieved in these areas. Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary to the CM and Principal Secretary of the Home Department, presented details of the work undertaken over the past three years.
This included information on state budget provisions and expenditures, prison-related matters, recruitment for the prosecution department, progress in achieving targets related to DoP-NCL, disaster management, enemy property, the 2027 Census, urban flood risk mitigation, mangrove conservation, fire prevention services, special courts, and forensic science projects. He also presented an overview of the status of forensic science and other related cases over the last five years, along with the initiatives undertaken by the State Government in these areas.
Director General of Police (DGP) G. S. Malik briefed the meeting on the operations of the State Police Force across various areas, including the law and order situation in the state; border management; the quadrilateral security grid; the Sector Security Coordination Group; prevention of various kinds of crimes; curbing infiltration; removal of encroachments; coastal demolition; ‘Operation Mule Hunt’; border tourism; actions involving referral agencies; counter-radicalisation measures; the ‘112 Janrakshak’ service; operations related to the 1930 helpline; initiatives under ‘Mission Prabodh’ to combat cyber fraud; efforts to curb digital arrests; counter-terrorism operations; identification and prevention of bomb threats; the ‘Pratiraksha’ application; enforcement of the Fisheries Act; operations against ‘cyber slavery’; and implementation of directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the control of narcotics and drugs, according to the release.
To achieve the goal of a ‘drug-free India’ by 2029, the Union Home Minister directed that a strict approach be adopted to control narcotics and intoxicating substances in the state.
This includes formulating an action plan, expanding the scope of the 1933 control room, and ensuring that all relevant agencies conduct intensive enforcement drives. He also emphasised the need for comprehensive social awareness covering various dimensions.
The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and its subordinate offices, as well as officials from the State Home Department and other relevant departments. (ANI)
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