Declaring that both short and medium-range nuclear-capable Agni ballistic missiles were ready for deployment, Defence Minister George Fernandes on Sunday said the country's nuclear command chain, including alternative 'nerve centres', was in place, giving India an effective retaliatory capability.

"We have established more than one (nuclear control) nerve centre," he told PTI in an interview in which he disclosed that other nuclear command and control structures like nuclear command shelters and VVIP shelters have also been established.

To a question whether action has been taken to safeguard the country's nerve centres like North Block, South Block and Parliament, Fernandes said, "All necessary steps to provide these vital places protection have been taken."

On the possibility of the use of Delhi Metro underground tunnelling as nuclear shelter, he said, "Some countries have modified underground railway network to turn into shelters."

Elaborating on the process of deployment of 700 km-range Agni-I and 1500 to 2000 km-range Agni-II missiles, Fernandes said, "These have been handed over to the army for deployment."

He said the longer-range variant of the missile -- Agni-III -- was under production and its exact timing for its test firing were being finalised.

Fernandes said that Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) set up would be in place within a 'few months' and that pace of modernisation of armed forces had been accelerated.

Expanding on the nuclear command authority, Fernandes said that any nuclear power has to take care of issues like having a credible second strike capability and setting up of nuclear command and nerve centres.

"India as a declared nuclear weapon state has been on this job from day one," Fernandes said.

He added that this just did not entail nuclear nerve centres, but also dealt with educating people about nuclear dangers, making hospitals ready for nuclear emergencies and other connected issues.

Though Agni-I and Agni-II along with surface-to-surface Prithvi missiles have been handed to the army, Fernandes said the newly raised strategic forces command has its responsibilities and would fulfil them.

Asked if possession of nuclear weapons had emboldened Pakistan to indulge in adventurism, the minister said a number of countries possessed nuclear weapons and everyone looked at deterrent and not as something they should use.

In this connection, he said most of the nuclear doctrines took no first strike position.

On the CDS system, which has been hanging fire for considerable time, Fernandes said the appointment of CDS was being discussed. "I am looking forward to putting it in place within a few months," he said.

On cross-border infiltration of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Fernandes said, "Not a day passed when our forces have to take on terrorists who have tried to get into our territory."

Asked as to how long he felt militancy would last, the minister shot back, "Ttill Pakistan sees sense and realises the futility of what they are doing and the damage it is causing as much to their country as to ours."

Fernandes indicated as long as the scourge of terrorism continued, the country could not afford to go ahead with making its armed forces leaner and said that instead manpower in the services would have to be increased.

"We were on the verge of turning our armed forces leaner and meaner but in the midst of proxy war, we have to see we have adequate forces so that this war is won," Fernandes said.

Asked about his perception on terrorism, Fernandes referred to Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf's remarks at the UN General Assembly last month that he could curb terrorism in J&K if India started dialogue.

"After such remarks, there is no scope for any perception," he said. "It was the same

Musharraf who was hailed in large parts of the world after his January 12, 2002 speech as a man who means business."

Fernandes said that Musharraf's comments at the UNGA clearly amplified that 'he has been at this game all this time and will continue'.

Asserting that the modernisation drive in the armed forces has been accelerated as never before, Fernandes listed 51 major armament systems including long-pending tracked and wheeled 155 mm guns and near finalisation of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.

On the carrier, he said the price negotiations were at closing stages and that New Delhi had looked at the Russian offer of carrier-based MiG-29 K fighter aircraft.