Updated on Monday, January 05, 2009, 00:00 IST

Raipur, Jan 05: Chhattisgarh Government will set up an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and also take a slew of other measures to strengthen security apparatus to effectively fight terror and Naxal threat, Governor E S L Narasimhan said on Monday.

Addressing the first session of the newly-elected Assembly here, he termed terrorism and Naxalism as the worst internal security problems being faced by the country today.

The proposed ATS, which will consist of highly trained commandos, would be deployed at the state as well as the district headquarters, Narasimhan said.

Following the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, the Government has decided to convert a Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) battalion into a Commando unit, the Governor said.

Narasimhan said the Government would also establish Anti-Terrorist Control Rooms (ATCR) and Analysis Group (AGs) at the state and district headquarters to compile, analyse and share information relating to terror elements with security forces of neighbouring states and the Central agencies.

Meeting of the state's Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centre (SMAC) is held once a week where inputs provided by Central intelligence and other security agencies are discussed and necessary action taken, Narasimhan, an ex-IB officer, said.

The Governor also touched upon development-related issues. Growth in the agriculture sector was 7 per cent in Chhattisgarh as compared to national figure of 3 per cent during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2002-07), he said.

Speaking about the Government's commitment to ensure food security of the people, Narasimhan said the state administration has decided to arrange more than Rs 2,000 crore for various schemes in this regard.

Bureau Report