CM seeks liberal financial assistance from Centre for upgrading TGNAB, TGCSB  with modern technologies and equipment

Central assistance sought to help improve the fight against drug menace

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has requested the Central government to extend liberal financial assistance in modernisation of premier agencies like Telangana Anti Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB) and Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB).

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday. The Chief Minister sought the Centre’s support in modernising the two bureaus during his hour-long interaction with the Union Home Minister. He also briefed the Union Minister about the pending issues which needed to be resolved.

Mr. Revanth Reddy sought Central assistance of ₹88 crore for TGNAB and ₹90 crore for TGCSB enabling the deployment of modern technologies and equipment to control the drug menace and tackling cyber crime.

There was a need for a review of the allotment of the IPS cadre once in every five years and a review pertaining to Telangana was made in 2016. The exercise was not taken up ever since and the Centre should conduct the review as Telangana needed more IPS officers. The State was allotted 61 IPS officers at the time of its formation, but it would need at least 29 more officers to meet its requirements.

He reminded the Union Home Minister that several camps of security forces were set up along the Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh borders to tackle left-wing extremism. There was scope for similar deployment of security forces in Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts. The Centre had removed the three districts from the list of left-wing extremism-affected districts and steps should be taken to restore security-related expenditure in these districts. There was need for enhancing security measures as Telangana shared long borders with neighbouring States.

The Chief Minister requested Mr. Amit Shah to set up CRPF joint task force camps in Charla mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem and Venkatapuram mandal of Mulugu districts to check LWE activities. He took to the notice of Mr. Amit Shah that the CPI (Maoist) had set up a special group to extend its influence in the hilly areas of Karregattu on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border and said the deployment of CRPF joint task force personnel would help in checking the activities of left wing extremists.

He sought the release of ₹18.31 crore towards the Central share for special police officers which has been pending for the past four years. The Centre should also relax the conditions for recruitment of SPOs, presently confined to retired Defence personnel and former police officials, allowing the State to recruit 1,065 more personnel.