With the Northeast witnessing a spurt in terrorist violence, the Centre has asked the states to strengthen the Special Branches of the state police.

Noting that collection of timely and local actionable intelligence holds the key in preventing terrorist activities, a report on the internal security situation by the Home Ministry recently said that well-coordinated and efficient intelligence machinery at the Centre and state level are crucial.

"There is a need for greater alertness and regular surveillance on the part of intelligence agencies and local police to identify and pre-empt terrorist modules or sleeper cells in some parts of the country, particularly Jammu and Kashmir [Images], the Northeast and the Naxal-affected areas," the status report said.

The Home Ministry has directed the states to earmark up to five per cent of their annual allocations under the scheme -- for modernisation of state police forces -- to strengthen special branches and revive the beat constable system to improve skills for actionable intelligence gathering.

The scheme also envisages strengthening of community policing systems to enable improved understanding between the police and the people and collection of local intelligence, the report stated.

The states have been asked to induct competent officers in the special branches, with a mandatory tenure of five years for the personnel whose promotions should be linked to this requirement.

Besides, the government has approved the setting up of 13 integrated check posts at the major entry points along international borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar, at a cost of Rs 734 crore.

In the first three months of the current year, the Northeast saw 414 incidents of violence that resulted in the killing of 12 security personnel and 131 civilians besides 171 extremists.

 The Home Ministry report stated that the overall security situation in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur remained an area of concern.