CISF commandos to guard NTRO's Hyderabad facility

NEW DELHI: The government has decided to deploy elite CISF commandos at the National Technical Research Organisation's Hyderabad facility in view of heightened threat to vital installations involved in India's internal security.
Sources said 50 CISF commandos will guard the NTRO building.
NTRO, which reports to the Prime Minister's Office, develops and deploys systems for national security and deals with telecom and internet surveillance, cryptography, strategic monitoring, UAVs and cyber security among others.It is considered one of the most important assets in the country's intelligence grid since its formation in 2004.
Apart from its regular technical intelligence work, NTRO is currently examining the GPS sets used by Pakistan-based terrorists who stormed the Army base at Uri. NTRO is also learnt to have played an important role in the recent surgical strikes carried out by the Army on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in coordination with other agencies.
The organisation is also crucial in the government's fight against online radicalisation of youngsters influenced by terror organisations like Islamic State and Al Qaida.
Government officials said "deploying CISF at NTRO was a natural choice because of its record and professionalism in providing infrastructure security". Facilities like NTRO were always under threat from Pakistan-based terror outfits and its spy agency ISI, they added.
While 50 commandos would be initially deployed at NTRO's Hyderabad facility, CISF may increase the number if required, sources said.
The 1.5 lakh strong CISF has expertise in securing important government, semi-government and private institutions, industrial sectors like nuclear plants, space installations, oil fields and refineries, major ports, heavy engineering and steel plants, barrages, fertiliser units, airports, Metro, hydroelectric/thermal power plants and currency note presses.
Apart from government installations, it has also been deployed at private institutions including Reliance refinery, Infosys and Tata campuses and yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ashram. It also provides cover to some VIPs in the country.