New Delhi, Nov. 30: The long-delayed federal agency to fight terror could be announced this week, along with marching orders for top officials in an overhaul of the security establishment prompted by the Mumbai attacks.

States have long opposed the federal agency fearing it will erode their authority but the Centre can go ahead with the move in a time of national crisis, officials said.

The shuffle of top officials could take place on Monday as a follow-up to the exit of home minister Shivraj Patil, sources said. The buzz tonight was that commerce secretary G.K. Pillai could be named the new home secretary, replacing Madhukar Gupta. Pillai had been in the ministry earlier, as joint secretary (Northeast). Raman Shrivastav, who like Pillai is a Kerala cadre IAS officer, could become special secretary (internal security).

Also at the exit door is P.C. Haldar, the Intelligence Bureau chief whose agency is being blamed for the failure to get information on other recent terror strikes, sources said. Special director Rajiv Mathur may succeed him.

Maritime and air security will be tightened by the navy, coast guard, coastal police (of states) and the civil aviation ministry, the Prime Minister has said.

Haldar retires on December 31, having taken over in December 2006 from E.S.L. Narsimhan, who was appointed Chhattisgarh governor. Haldar faced a staff squeeze because of a recruitment freeze since 2005. The freeze has been lifted, which could give his successor 6,000 more personnel.

One head rolled today, that of the coast guard’s director-general, Vice Admiral R.F. Contractor. He held the post since August 2006. Vice Admiral Anil Chopra has replaced him.

Contractor has been blamed for sitting on intelligence inputs — about the possibility of Pakistani operatives taking the sea route to strike — that RAW claims to have sent on November 18, eight days before the attack.

What also seems to have gone against Contractor is that the attackers sneaked through in spite of a joint exercise his organisation had been conducting with the navy and the BSF in the Arabian Sea from November 24 to 28.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hinted at the shake-up, telling an all-party meeting today that “we are determined to take all necessary measures to overhaul the system”. “Several measures are in place to deal with the situation. But clearly much more needs to be done.”

A key part of the “necessary measures” appears to be the steps under way to set up four hubs of the National Security Guard across the country. Precious time had been lost flying the commandos to Mumbai from Delhi after the terrorists struck last Wednesday night. Singh also said special forces and para-commandos with the Centre would be used in counter-terror operations.

The shake-up seems to have upset the home ministry, with officials feeling disgusted at what they believe are “cosmetic changes” that will make little difference.