The Union home ministry has refused to accept Maharashtra’s demand that the Centre waive off the `27-crore bill for 26/11 Mumbai attacks convict Ajmal Kasab’s security till now, insisting that the two companies of the Indo-Tibetan Security Force were deployed at the state’s request. Kasab was hanged this week. Soon after the execution, Maharashtra home minister R.R. Patil said they have written to the MHA that the financial burden of providing fool-proof security to Kasab for the last four years can at best be a “shared” responsibility of the Centre and state. Top government officials said the ministry is taking into consideration various factors, including the repeated demands being raised by other states seeking the Centre’s indulgence to foot the bill. Half-a-dozen state governments, particularly those grappling with left-wing extremism (LWE), are demanding that the MHA waive off their dues to Central paramilitary forces which have been deployed in large numbers to aid state police forces in joint operations against the Maoists. The contention of states seeking leniency in payments is that LWE is a “national security” concern and not particularly confined to the need of an individual state. A similar plea has been taken by Maharashtra which has cited Kasab’s case as one having national security implications. While a final decision is yet to be taken at the highest level, Mr Patil’s view may have well suggested a way out for the MHA which will need to respond with caution given the positive and close cooperation recently witnessed between the Centre and state in executing the death sentence.