Mumbai: Post 26/11, the cabinet headed by chief minister Ashok Chavan, sanctioned a Rs 127-crore package to upgrade the police force with sophisticated weapons.
The state government also sought financial support and strengthened vigilance along the coastline from the union government at three high-level meetings held between the group of ministers (GoM).
Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh set the ball rolling when he declared the governments intention to bring security on par with development on the administrations agenda. Its been a month since the terror attacks and the question that comes to everyone's mind is - what have the policy-makers done to ensure the security of ordinary citizens?
Chief minister Ashok Chavan said, "We have prepared a Rs 127-crore proposal, which will address security shortcomings in the state." Home minister Jayant Patil also gave an assurance. He said, "We have decided to deploy trained commandos at strategic locations to combat terrorism. Better intelligence-sharing between the state and the centre coupled with strengthening of local policing along the coastline are among other policy decisions taken by the government."
With leaders and ministers battling political challenges at the ongoing winter session of state legislature at Nagpur, the process of expeditiously implementing the new policy has been put on hold.
Another issue confronting the coalition government is action against top police officials. There is no uniformity on whether a probe should be conducted against director-general of police AN Roy, Mumbai police commissioner Hasan Gafoor and additional chief secretary Chitkala Zutshi.
The flip-flop in the political leadership despite constitution of a committee headed by former secretary RD Pradhan displays lack of will to act against them.
"It was easier to divest Deshmukh and Patil of their posts, but punishing the top police officials remains a daunting task," admitted a senior cabinet minister.
