By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Alarmed over the vulnerability of the country’s 7,516 km-long coastline to infiltration by terrorists, the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned assistance to the Coast Guard to acquire interceptor boats for effective patrolling off the coast of Gujarat and Maharashtra states.
Boats for coastal patrolling by the coastal police stations are being procured centrally by the Home Ministry at a total cost of Rs 324.70 crore, a senior official told PTI. (One Crore: ten million)
The delivery of 84 boats of five tonne capacity, each costing Rs 105 lakh, and 110 boats of 12 tonne capacity costing Rs 215 lakh each is expected to commence from early 2009.(One Lakh:100,000)
Assistance is also being provided for setting up three additional Coast Guard Stations at Veravel in Gujarat state and Murud Janjira and Dhanu in Maharashtra state.
The scheme is being implemented jointly by the Home Ministry which meets the non-recurring expenditure and Defence Ministry the recurring expenditure.
Explaining the vulnerability of the country’s long coastline, sources said the threats ranged from landing of arms and explosives at isolated spots, infiltration or ex-filtration of anti-national elements, use of the sea and safe havens in off-shore islands for smuggling and other allied criminal and anti-national activities.
The concern assumes greater significance in view of the presence of a number of vital industrial and defence establishments on the coast which, need protection against subversion by anti-national elements.