In its efforts to tighten security, India has decided to procure 150 petrol boats to be given to coastal states to intensify vigil along the country’s coastline, says news agency PTI.
PTI said the boats, to be procured under the Coastal Security Scheme Phase-II, will be distributed among nine coastal states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal — and four Union Territories — Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicober Islands.
“We have already floated the tender for procurement of the 150 modified petrol boats. We hope that the first delivery of about 30 boats will start from the middle of next year,” a Home Ministry official said.
Though the Phase-I of the Coastal Security Scheme was launched in 2005-2006, it gained momentum only after the November 26, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
The Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, who had entered the metropolis taking the sea route, exposed gaps in India’s coastal security architecture, which had earlier not received adequate attention.
Coastal Security Scheme (Phase-II) has been approved by the government for implementation over a period of five years beginning April 1, 2011. The approved financial outlay of scheme is around Rs 1,579 crore. The scheme will cover all the nine coastal states and four UTs.
Under the scheme, government plans to establish 131 coastal police stations, procure 180 boats, set up 60 jetties, purchase 131 four wheelers and 242 motorcycles. Rs 15 lakh will also be given to each of the coastal police stations for procuring surveillance equipment, computer systems and furniture.
The total length of India’s coastline is 7,516-km with 13 major and 185 minor ports and a huge 2.01 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone.
Phase-I of the Coastal Security Scheme included the setting up of 73 coastal police stations, 97 check-posts, 58 outposts and 30 operational barracks, along with 204 boats, 153 jeeps and 312 motorcycles.
Under the new security plan put in place after 26/11, Navy is now the “designated authority” responsible for overall maritime security, with both coastal and offshore security under its control.
