However, what is the use of such reporting if it is
not based upon fair, fearless and honest grounds. For instance, the
Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has listed
the projects that were blatantly ignored by it in the past. Now home
ministry officials have released a list of areas and projects that
must be carried forward by the home ministry.
Surprisingly, the home ministry officials have
dropped the reference of National
Counter Terrorism Centre of India (NCTC) at all. It is
learnt
that they have done this because Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi
had been at loggerheads with the UPA government when he was Gujarat
chief minister. Is this a valid reason to drop a project in a
democratic country like India?
According to Praveen
Dalal, managing partner of New Delhi based ICT law firm
Perry4Law “This is a highly unfortunate situation. No project
should be dropped simply because Mr. Narendra Modi has disliked the
same in the past. It is the constitutional duty of bureaucrats to
suggest inclusion of projects of National Importance keeping aside
their own biases, prejudices or fears. If they simply drop a worth
project like NCTC on the basis that Mr. Modi disliked it in the past
nothing is more embarrassing and unfortunate than such an approach”.
“Even if Mr. Modi is averse to NCTC as on date,
the bureaucrats must suggest the same. Of course, if there are some
other issues, besides personal preferences or dislikes of Mr. Modi,
they must be openly and frankly communicated to Mr. Modi and let him
decide ultimately”. The NCTC of India must be constituted
on a priority basis as it is need of the hour, opines
Dalal.
Fortunately, the National Intelligence Grid
(Natgrid) has found a mention in the proposed list. However, Natgrid
is also facing many problems and this has made it non operational.
The fact is that intelligence infrastructure has been plagued by
administrative lapses and legal irregularities. Modernisation
of law enforcement and intelligence agencies is need of the hour.
The chief opposition of Modi against NCTC was that
he considered it to be a poorly conceived idea that tinkers with
age-old existing systems. He believed that rather than strengthening
our anti terrorism fight it will do irreparable loss to our internal
security apparatus. Although time has drastically changed since then
but our bureaucrats have given preference to their Modi’s fear over
national interest and anti terrorism fight.
