Four days after terror blasts at court compounds in three cities in Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati government on Monday decided to set up an Anti-Terrorist Squad on the lines of Maharashtra to effectively deal with terrorism.

The government also decided to strengthen the intelligence system in the state by creating a separate cadre comprising people with good knowledge of computers and experts in different languages.

State chief minister Mayawati said the Special Task Force had also been strengthened and two additional units had been created by dividing the state into east and west zones with headquarters in Varanasi, one of the sites of last week's blasts, and Meerut.

Mayawati said though the STF had been successful in busting terrorist networks in the state, it was felt that the state required a specialised unit to effectively deal with terrorism. The government decided to create an ATS, which would have its headquarters in the state capital, with a unit in all seven police zones of Varanasi, Bareilly, Allahabad, Kanpur, Meerut, Gorakhpur and Lucknow, she said.

The ATS would be headed by an inspector general rank officer under whom would be a deputy inspector general and superintendent of police besides additional superintendent of police and deputy superintendent of police.

Inspector General of Lucknow zone A K Jain has been made in-charge of the ATS. Latest gadgets would be provided to intelligence units and a provision of Rs 6.75 crore has been made for this purpose, Mayawati said.

Mayawati said though her government had succeeded in improving the law and order situation in the state during the last six months, the terrorists succeeded in triggering serial blasts in court premises in Faizabad, Varanasi and Lucknow, which left 15 people dead. Mayawati also asked the Centre to send back to UP 13 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary who are now stationed in Delhi.