CM says that the PM has agreed that a new counter- terror agency will not get cracking on March 1, as announced, till state governments are consulted

OUR BUREAU New Delhi

Not satisfied with the Prime Minister directing Home Minister P Chidambaram to consult the state governments on the National Counter Terrorism Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday told him to put on hold its notification until the consultations are over.

Though a dozen non- Congress chief ministers, including two allies in UPA ( Trinamool Congress and National Conference), have protested or written to the PM against the NCTC, Mamata became the first chief minister to speak to the PM on their behalf, urging him to remove confusion created by the unilateral move.

She told reporters after meeting Dr Manmohan Singh that NCTC was the first issue she raised with him since the executive order is against the federal structure of the Constitution.

She further pointed out that all are against terrorism but confusion will prevail if the state governments are not taken on board.

Her understanding was that the Prime Minister agreed that the new body would not start cracking until a consensus is reached between the Centre and the states. There was, however, no immediate confirmation from the Prime Ministers office.

On the Prime Minister writing to her and six other CMs on Tuesday that it was part of the decision taken way back in 2001 by the then NDA government, she asked where was the need to suddenly pull out for implementation a decision taken 11 years ago.

It is just not acceptable that NCTC arrest anybody, interfere into any business

and even requisition the police without the state governments consent, she affirmed, adding that the Centre is like parents to the states and hence it should take care of children in a proper manner. Mamata was livid when asked about the state desperately seeking a financial package from the Centre to fend off the financial crisis due to its empty coffers. " I never come here to seek package and did not seek it. Don't deviate from main issues. We don't spread hands for 'Bheekh'( alms)," she thundered.