New Delhi, Dec. 31 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said that several decisions have been taken and measures incorporated to counter the challenge of terrorism.

Addressing his first press conference here after taking over as Union Home Minister, Chidambaram said three Bills -- The National Investigation Agency Bill, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill and the Criminal Procedure Code Amendment Bill had been passed in Parliament during its winter session, which concluded recently, as the issue of terrorism was one occupying the minds of all citizens.

He also confirmed that President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has given her assent to the Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Bill and the Land Ports Authority Bill today.

The former he said is a part of the package of legal measures that are required to enhance security.

"The Amendment Bill is intended to enable extension of CISF cover to industrial establishments in the joint sector and private sector. At the administrative level, I have appointed a senior officer as Internal Security Adviser to the Home Minister," Chidambaram said.

He also said that a new and mutually beneficial arrangement has been put in place to ensure that all intelligence agencies share intelligence on a real time basis and are able to make a joint preliminary assessment of the intelligence.

As far as the decisions/measures announced on December 11, 2008, Chidambaram said that his ministry would be bringing before the Cabinet/Cabinet Committee a Note on establishing National Security Guard hubs in four cities in the first instance and more hubs in a phased manner.

He also said that the Ministry of Defence would bring before the Cabinet/Cabinet Committee a Note on establishing a Coastal Command.

Sanction has also been accorded to the Intelligence Bureau to fill up the vacancies in the executive cadre on an emergent basis. 10 officers at SP/DIG/IG level have been appointed to the IB against vacancies, said Chidambaram, adding that work is in progress to set up 20 counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism schools.

"A decision has been taken to procure 20,000 bullet proof jackets for CPMFs on an emergent basis," he said.

Financial allocations have been approved and made for constructing 27 new border roads on the Indo-China border. Instructions have been issued to complete the preparatory and mobilization work, including preparing the DPRs, so that work can resume/begin on May 1, 2009 when the working season will commence, he said.

He also said that an amount of Rs. 94.15 crore has been released for security critical infrastructure in naxal affected areas under a new Plan scheme of the Home Ministry.

He also praised the peaceful conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and emphasised the fact that 61.49 percent of the state''s population had come out to cast their votes in the elections.

He also mentioned that 66 Pakistani prisoners were released under an Agreement between India and Pakistan this week. (ANI)