Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday inaugurated a regional hub of National Security Guard (NSG) in Hyderabad and said the city will soon get a training centre with over 5,000 commandos.

"We had made a promise after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in November that we will set up four regional centres of the NSG so that the reach and capacity to tackle terror is considerably enhanced throughout the country. It took several hours to reach the force from Manesar, Gurgaon to Mumbai. 
Therefore the idea was born that we should set up regional hubs," he said.

The one opened at Hyderabad was the third NSG hub to be commissioned in the country. Chidambaram arrived here after inaugurating an NSG hub in Chennai.

This regional hub here will have 241 commandos. The function to formally commission the hub was held at the old airport but the hub is coming up on 23 acres of land at Tirmulghery. The infrastructure will be built at a cost of Rs.370 million.

"Hyderabad of course has special place. Apart from the regional hub, we propose to establish a regional centre of the NSG, replicating Manesar in Ibrahimpatnam in Hyderabad. This will cost a very large amount of money. It will have 5,150 commandos. It will become a major training centre for all south Indian police forces to help them raise commando forces, anti-terror forces, quick reaction teams etc," Chidambaram said.

The NSG is a specially trained force. As many as 53 percent of NSG troops come from the army and 47 from paramilitary forces. The NSG will not be engaged in operations against the Maoists.

"The NSG hub is intended to deal with terrorist threat and attacks. This is an anti-terrorist and anti-hijacking force. NSG is not expected to engage in search and destroy operations. We have CRPF (Central Reserve POlice Force) and Cobra teams do this. This state has Greyhounds for that purpose," he said.

Chidamabaram said the NSG had powers to requisition any aircraft anywhere in India.