Bangalore, December 14, 2013, DHNS: A disaster recovery centre of the National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid) will come up in Bangalore in the next two years. Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde laid the foundation stone for the building on BSF campus in Yelahanka on Saturday.
Natgrid was conceptualised in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which brought to the fore several systemic loopholes in putting intelligence together during the crisis.
Speaking on the occasion, Shinde said one of the important facts that emerged from the 26/11 attacks was that information and indicators of possible attacks were present in separate parts of the system, but there was no technological framework to help the agencies put the pieces together for developing timely intelligence.
“We are striving to enhance capabilities of our agencies to detect and respond to such threats at the earliest possible time. Rapid change in technology makes this task difficult. Natgrid will use cutting-edge technology to strengthen the intelligence and law enforcement agencies. It will act as preventive deterrent,” the minister said. While the entire project will cost Rs 1,000 crore, the building in the City will be constructed at a cost of Rs 100 crore. National Building Construction Corporation has been entrusted with the task.
Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami said with Natgrid, India will join the handful of nations that have institutional sharing of information. We must learn from the systemic gaps. There have been continuous efforts to disrupt terrorist activities,” said Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami. Raghu Raman, Chief Executive Officer of Natgrid, said the biggest challenge was to cope with the diversity of the country. He said official records in numerous regional languages and those in physical form will have to be given a uniform shape, he added.
