Writes to disgruntled chief ministers, points out that the NDA government in 2001 had approved the idea.

OUR BUREAU New Delhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday wrote to the chief ministers that the Centre has no intent to usurp the states'powers in formation of the National Counter Terrorism Centre and assured them that Home Minister P Chidambaram will address their concern about its functioning.

He also justified its placement within the Intelligence Bureau, instead of creating it as a separate organization and asserted that the NDA government in 2001 had approved the idea.

" The primary purpose of the NCTC is to coordinate counter- terrorism efforts throughout the country, as the IB has been doing so far.

It is for this reason that the NCTC has been located within the IB and not as a separate organization," the PM said in the letter addressed to the chief ministers of Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

He assured them that " in forming the NCTC, it is not the governments intent in any way to affect the basic features of the Constitutional provisions and allocation of powers between the States and the Union.

" I have, however, noted your concerns about the manner in which the NCTC will function and am asking the Home Minister to address them suitably, in consultation with you and other Chief Ministers." He pointed out that the idea of such a hub was under consideration ever since a Group of Ministers report of 2001 suggested formation of a joint task force on intelligence and the report was accepted by the government of the day.

The Second Administrative Reforms Commission also suggested that a National Centre for Counter Terrorism be established, he added.

On behalf of the BJP, senior party leader Arun Jaitley said the dispute is not over formation of such an organization, but over the role assigned to it as it will be overstepping on the functions of the state police and that too without taking the state governments on board.

Everyone wants the strongest fight against terrorism, but that requires coordination between the Centre and the States and involvement of all intelligence and security outfits at their disposal, he said.