Welcome federalism,NCTC debate,says PC

Chidambaram,while presenting the monthly report card of his ministry,said there was the possibility of extending the conference by a day to discuss NCTC. “That would of course depend on the convenience of the Prime Minister and the chief ministers but that is an option,” he said.

The Home Ministry had,in February,notified the formation of an NCTC which was to become operational from March 1. But a number of chief ministers,from non-Congress state governments,strongly objected to the NCTC in the manner it is envisaged,saying that it encroached on the federal structure. A meeting of chief secretaries and DGPs of the state governments earlier this month was not able to resolve the differences.

“I welcome the debate on NCTC and on federalism and I sincerely hope that it will be a debate based on the Constitution,the laws in force and the very healthy conventions that have been built over the last 65 years,” Chidambaram said.

He said he had received the latest letter in this regard from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has demanded that the NCTC be discussed thoroughly at the CMs’ conference. Banerjee — whose Trinamool Congress is the leading ally of the UPA coalition at the Centre — is one of the most bitter critics of the NCTC in the current form. The main objections of the state governments has been that current provisions in NCTC give officers power to search,seize and arrest anywhere in the country. Law and order being state subject,they argue,such powers will erode the authority of the state governments.

Interestingly,the Home Ministry has neither withdrawn nor amended the February 6 notification that said NCTC would come into effect from March 1. Chidambaram claimed there was no contradiction in this,and said that the NCTC can be considered functional only when a Director and other officials are appointed.“It is only when a Director is appointed,the three joint directors are appointed and a standing council is constituted,that there is an NCTC. Otherwise,it is still an idea which has to be operationalised,” he said.

On Balwant Singh Rajoana,who has been awarded death sentence for assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh,Chidambaram said his ministry had received the clemency petition from the President’s Secretariat two days ago and was examining it.

He said the law did not make any distinction between a clemency plea filed by the convict himself or one filed on his behalf by someone else.