Wednesday, July 27 2005 19:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government has received information that some individuals, vital scientific installations and some national monuments were under terrorist threat, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Rajya Sabha today (July 27, 2005).

Security had been beefed up to guard against any terrorist attack, he said adding such information was not given publicity as this could create a scare.

"There is information that important national monuments, important scientific installations, important modern industries and some individuals who are respected in the country have become vulnerable." Patil told Congress member Anand Sharma during Question Hour.

Stating that this information had been provided to state governments, he said all assistance would be provided to deal with the situation.

In reply to a query, he said CISF had been entrusted with the task of providing security to airports, the Taj Mahal and the Ayodhya structure.

Asserting the system of counter-attack would alone not be enough to deal with the problem. Patil said, in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, the government was open to rehabilitate those who were willing to give up militancy.

He said the J&K Government had introduced a scheme for rehabilitating persons who had taken to militancy due to unemployment or economic problem and were wanting to give it up and lead an ordinary life.

Under this scheme, such persons were required to spend three months in a rehabilitation camp during which period they would be given a salary of Rs 2000 per month and trained in various employment-oriented programmes.

In reply to a query, he said there was need to strengthen state intelligence agencies to counter terrorist moves.

The Minister said it was difficult to know the mind of terrorists and this problem was being faced by other countries also.