New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is soon expected to launch the National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID in a bid to fortify India's counter-terror capabilities, sources said, adding that the plans to initiate the state-of-the-art technology was conceived post the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008. Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed NATGRID as a seamless and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes and similar incidents.
"Had corona (COVID-19) not been there, the Prime Minister would have dedicated NATGRID to the country. I am hopeful that the Prime Minister will dedicate NATGRID to the country in some time," Shah had said during the 51st Foundation Day event of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) held on September 4. Shah added that the new technology would help track down suspects and curb terrorist attacks with real-time data and access to classified information like immigration, banking, individual taxpayers, air and train travels.
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As per initial plans, 10 user agencies and 21 service providers will be linked to NATGRID and later 950 additional organisations will be connected to the network. In the future over 1,000 organisations will be further integrated into the National Intelligence Grid. Significant security agencies in the country will also be authorised to access the NATGRID database.
Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Cabinet Secretariat, Intelligence Bureau, Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau, Financial Intelligence Unit and the National Investigation Agency may be granted access to NATGRID.
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The lack of prompt information to intelligence and enforcement agencies in tracking the movement of suspected US terrorist David Headley to India between 2006 and 2009 is considered one of the main reasons for the initiation of the project. Headley had provided crucial information and videos of terror targets to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terror group that carried out the Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including foreigners, were killed.
The Rs 3,400-crore NATGRID project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 2010, but the work slowed down after 2012. Later in 2014, PM Modi having assumed power gave directions for its revival.
