Mumbai: One of the big problems of the counter terrorist force during the Mumbai 26/11 attack was that the NSG was located in Delhi and it took hours to get to Mumbai.
Then, nationwide hubs for the counter terrorist forces were promised and they are finally being set up with Mumbai being the first of these counter terrorist hubs.
But the sight of NSG Commandos chugging along in a bus to reach the Taj and Trident hotels can very well be repeated.
They may have got new, regional bases, but major challenges remain. They still need dedicated helicopters to ferry them to city centres and other areas of action.
The Commandos also want more modern weapons and their plea to source equipments like the Prime Minister's SPG, without a laborious tendering process, hasn't been cleared yet.
Over the next 48 hours these four new NSG centres will have about 100 Commandos each to begin with.
But instead of 200 Army officers required for the four hubs, only a tenth are available. The Army, which is about 13,000 officers short, says it cannot spare anymore.