Need to act on report

After every scam, scandal and big terror attack, the probe committee is formed. But in every case, the findings of the committed are thrown in the dustbin and no action is taken on its recommendation to plug the loopholes. That is why the same thing happens one after another.It has been rarely seen that a probe committee has held the political master solely responsible for the lapses. While the matter of the fact is that officials act on the instruction of their political masters.The Pradhan Committee report on 26/11 Mumbai attacks that has cited non-adherence of Standard Operating Practice (SOP) was tabled in Maharashtra assembly. In a severe indictment of the Maharashtra government, the Ram Pradhan Committee, that probed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, said the administration failed to act on repeated intelligence inputs on possibility of a strike on the Metropolis and the top brass of the police department had failed to provide visible leadership during the crisis, even as it criticised the system of handling ‘alerts’. In its stinging indictment,Pradhan Committee has held systematic failure that has resulted in mishandling of 26/11. It has also exposed the callous negligence in properly abnalysing intelligence alerts about terror attacks on Mumbai. It has also held Mumbai police inability to repond properly to prevent 26/11. Three alerts were given on three dates about the impending terror attacks, though specific date was not mentioned. Mumbai police machinery was held totally responsible for mishandling the process of taking preventive measures and their action to fight terrorists was a total confusion. As there was no planning how to face the impending terror attacks, Mumbai police machinery in absence of an efficient and brave controlling officer was groping in dark on one hand and terrorists were involved in wanton killings on the other. Though Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh and Home Minister R R Patil had to resign from their posts, there must be overhauling of the Mumbai police so that they could never again ignore the intelligence alerts and inputs. Police officials are as much responsible for inept handling of the grave situation as are their political masters. Though the Pradhan Committee has rightly said that Mumbai police Quick Response Team was ill-eqipped to successfully grab terrorists, they must have taken the alerts very seriously and if there was inability of the state government, it should have sought help from the Centre immediately to prevent one of the worst terror acts of 26/11.