As a step to curb the misuse of legal channels for spreading insurgency in the country, the Centre has frozen 18 bank accounts held by terror recruiters under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The bank accounts were held in high alert areas like Pune, Guwahati and West Bengal and have been frozen under section 51A of the UAPA. Section 51A allows the Government to freeze accounts of individuals or terror groups as a protective measure against terrorism.

"14 bank accounts of Moshin Ismail Chowdhary (involved in terrorist activities) in the Ratnakar Bank, Nana Peth branch, Pune, two bank accounts held by S S Brig Ningthoujam Rajen Singh, Commander-in-Chief and Finance Secretary of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup in the ICICI Bank, Guwahati and two bank accounts held by Rajen Singh's associate in SBI, Kurseong have been frozen," Home Minister P Chidambaram said.

The total amount of money held in these accounts was worth Rs 3.8 lakh, Home Ministry officials confirmed.

Nearly Rs 20-21 lakh were held by Singh in his two ICICI Bank accounts and his associate had Rs 39,000 deposited in two accounts in SBI, Kurseong.

The Government has also released Rs 22.25 crore as compensation for the aid of the family members of 416 central para military forces personnel who got killed, he said.

The Home Minister said a CCTV system was approved for 29 markets and check posts in the national capital and an advance withdrawal of 70 per cent (Rs 47.62 crore) of the total cost was sanctioned on March 17.