MYSURU: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that terrorists belonging to the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had sneaked into the state. Sleeper cells are active in Mysuru and Bengaluru and their activities have intensified in the coastal areas too. The terrorists entered the country through Bangladesh and Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Reacting to queries, the minister said, “According to information available from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, they are active in the coastal areas of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. While there are sleeper cells in Bengaluru, Mysuru, there is more information which cannot be disclosed at this juncture. However, measures are being taken to curb their activities by enhancing surveillance”.
The minister also said that the movement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who are in large numbers, has intensified in the state.
“Police are on the alert, especially in Bengaluru and Mysuru. We are gathering information about suspicious persons and analysing it,” he added.
To a question on the long-pending demand to implement the ADGP Raghavendra H Auradkar Committee report on revision of salaries of policemen, Bommai said it is before the Finance Department. Besides the police, there is also a demand from other associated departments to extend similar benefits to them. The pros and cons will be taken into consideration before implementing the recommendations, he said.
On the recent promise made by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to voters in neighbouring Maharashtra during a recent election rally to provide water to them, Bommai said, “There is nothing wrong in addressing the demand for water. Moreover, there is a standing agreement with the neighbouring state to share water on a barter system from river Krishna.”
State to recruit 16K cops in 2 years: Home Minister
Mysuru: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday announced that the state government will be recruiting 16,000 constables and 1,000 sub-inspectors in the next two to three years. Among them 6,000 policemen including PSIs and constables will be recruited in the current year. The minister said: “The recruitments will be taken up in phases. The newly-recruited personnel will be trained at 12 police training schools (PTS) in the state.”