New Delhi, May 05: Much awaited meeting between centre and states over National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) issue has been started on Saturday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been strongly favoured the formation of an anti-terror hub, he said the establishment of NCTC is not a State versus Centre issue but will work as a vehicle of country's combined efforts to curb terrorism. It will “supplement” the anti-terror capabilities of States and “not supplant” them.

Earlier, non-Congress ruled States expressed their serious concern over the establishment of controversial NCTC, they said that it will curb the federal structure of the country. The meeting was called specially after 12 chief ministers opposed formation of NCTC.

“The setting up of NCTC is aimed to coordinate counter-terror efforts throughout this vast country... The NCTC will supplement the States’ anti-terror capabilities and not supplant them,” Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister stressed that “it is not the government’s intention to affect distribution of powers between States and the Union (government).” Prime Minister said in his address to the day-long meeting that “the NCTC should be a vehicle of our combined efforts to eradicate terrorism. Terrorism is one of the threats to our national security. Neither the States nor the centre can fulfil this task alone.”

He expressed in his speech that "Terrorism is today one of the most potent threats to our national security. There can be no disagreement on putting an effective counter terrorism regime with efficient mechanism and response systems both at the national level and at the state level."

Prime Minister said the antecedents of the NCTC derived from the Group of Ministers and the Administrative Reforms Commission, commencing from the lessons learnt in Kargil.
"It is our belief that the NCTC, in its designs and its operation aspects, will supplement the counter-terrorism capabilities of the states and not supplant them," he said.

He also drew attention of Chief Ministers towards the Standard operating Procedures circulated by Union Home Ministry and said the draft reflects the details provisions for Centre-State coordination in both the organisational set up of NCTC and in its proposed powers and functions.

"But for the NCTC to function smoothly and effectively, it is important that we have a fairly broad consensus on its powers and functions. We would like the state governments to be with us in this initiative, which we believe would strengthen our counter-terrorism efforts," Singh said, adding the Centre was open to suggestions of Chief Ministers.

Prime Minister told that “neither the states nor the Centre can fulfil this task alone. The closest cooperation and coordination is, therefore, necessary to meet the threats that emanate from within and outside our borders."  
He said it was the "responsibility of the Centre to give form and shape to a cohesive national approach and strategy based on information gathered globally and from all the states of our Union.

Prime Minister expressed that there is primary necessity for a broad agreement on the strategy and measures that we must adopt to counter terrorism in all its multifarious dimensions in India, including cross- border terrorism, Left Wing Extremism, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in the North-East and religion based terrorism."