India expands its counter-terror grid, IB network to cover 825 locations across country

By Sumit Kumar Singh New Delhi, Dec 25 : To add more power to the counter-terror grid, India’s domestic intelligence, internal security and counter-intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau, is expanding its multi-agency centre (MAC) network to the district level. Now, the network will cover 825 locations around the country.
At present, a total of 374 locations are on the network of the MAC created in December 2001 in the aftermath of the Kargil Conflict as a platform to share, collate and analyse all intelligence relating to terrorism.
The network is being now extended to 475 districts selected in consultation with state police chiefs. Out of 475 identified locations, 451 have been found feasible for providing connectivity, out of which 174 districts have already been connected. When completed, the network will cover 825 locations around the country.
This was disclosed in a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed by Congress Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, on the Demands for Grants of Ministry of Home Affairs placed in Parliament on December 21.
The MAC has established a comprehensive system of communication and connectivity to share, disseminate terrorism related information and data.
For this purpose, the national capital was connected with 25 central member agencies and all state capitals. In the state capitals, the network links the SMAC (housed in the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau/SIB), state police Special Branch, and offices of all central and other counter-terror agencies.