1 June:With the country’s 7,516-km coastline vulnerable to infiltration by terrorists, the Union Home Ministry has obtained approval for creation of 400 posts for coastal security.
The posts, recently approved by the Finance Ministry, would be created in four Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Puducherry, Home Ministry sources said.
The highest number of 186 posts will be in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in order to beef up coastal security to prevent infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of arms from across the border in Myanmar and Bangladesh, they said.
The need to create these posts arose in the wake of latest security concerns, voiced by the intelligence agencies.Lakshadweep will have 140 such posts followed by 60 in Daman and Diu.
Keeping in view the vulnerability of the coastline in Maharashtra and Gujarat, a Joint Coastal Patrolling has been introduced to check illegal cross border activities.
Under this arrangement, patrolling of the coastal areas are being undertaken by the Navy, the state police and Customs.For Puducherry 20 posts have been sanctioned, sources said, adding the UT will also have a coastal police station to check any illegal activity.
While Daman and Diu will have two police stations, for Andaman and Nicobar Islands three operational buildings have been sanctioned.Besides, four police stations have been sanctioned for Lakshadweep.
The Union Home Ministry launched a coastal security scheme over two years ago and sanctioned 73 police stations in nine coastal states and four Union Territories.
The scheme, which envisages setting up of 10 police stations in Gujarat, six in Andhra Pradesh, four in West Bengal, three in Goa, one each in Kerala, Puducherry and Daman and Diu, 12 in Maharashtra and five in Karnataka, was approved to be implemented in six years beginning 2005-06.
These police stations will be equipped with 204 boats, 149 jeeps and 312 motor cycles for increasing mobility of the police personnel on the coasts and in close coastal waters.Besides, the scheme envisages setting up of 97 check posts, 58 out posts and 30 barracks.
For making the joint coastal patrolling more effective, it was decided to create additional infrastructure for Coast Guard to enable it to undertake joint coastal patrolling, sources said.
Under the scheme, assistance is given to Coast Guard to procure 15 interceptor boats suitable for patrolling the coastal waters and for setting up three Coast Guard Stations — two in Maharashtra and one in Gujarat.
The Coast Guard is imparting training to different State police personnel in mounting maritime vigil.The scheme is being implemented jointly by the Union Home Ministry, which will meet the non-recurring expenditure, and the Defence Ministry, which will meet the recurring expenditure. Courtsey : DD NEWS