Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday announced that the state government will set up an anti-terrorist force (ATF), comprising specially trained recruits from the state police, to deal with present-day security challenges.

“We have decided to set up an anti-terrorist force. This force will be named ‘Kavach’. Select Haryana police recruits will be trained by the National Security Guard (NSG). I have already spoken to the NSG in this regard,” Khattar told reporters in Gurgaon, adding that some states have already set up such a unit.

He said that the Kavach would have 150 police personnel who would be provided 14 weeks training by National Security Guard (NSG) located at Manesar.

“Special recruitment would be done of batch comprising 50 physically fit candidates of Haryana Police. The members of Kavach could be transferred to Haryana Police,” Khattar said.

The CM said Kavach has been constituted as a precautionary measure to deal with terrorists activities. He said that the headquarters of Kavach would be at Gurugram and it would be headed by an officer of Inspector General or Additional Director General of Police rank.

When asked on the need for such a force, the CM said the ATF will deal with “security challenges in general which we face in the present day”. Clarifying that the decision to form this force had nothing to do with any specific threat being faced by the state, the CM said, “Prevention is better than cure.” When attacks in Pathankot and Mumbai occurred no one knew them from before, the idea is to be better prepared (in the future),” he added. The finer modalities for setting up the ATF are being worked out, the CM said.

He said that Women Police Stations have been opened at District and Sub Division headquarters, and ‘Durga Vahini Force’ has been constituted to strengthen women safety in the state. Apart from this, Special Task Force has been constituted to deal with people indulged in criminal activities.

The CM was interacting with media persons on the occasion of release of ‘Vikas Geet’ CD composed by Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, at Gurugram today.

Replying to a question, he said that this song would be played during unveiling the statue of Deenbandhu Sir Chhotu Ram by the Prime Minister at Sampla in district Rohtak on October 9. As many as 40 schemes have been chosen to compose this song.

The CM said that the Kherki Daula toll plaza would be shifted to Panchgaon by March 2019. Thereafter, the traffic movement between Gurugram and Manesar would be smoother.