By Bernama,
New Delhi : In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, India is likely to set up coastal command in each of the nine coastal states in line with unified command structure, which is currently operating in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
Apart from a national coastal command, as declared by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, the government is contemplating setting up of such a structure in each of the coastal states to avoid multiplicity among security forces, better coordination and speedy results.
Quoting the Home Ministry sources, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the coastal commands would comprise Navy, Coast Guard, Marine wing of the state police and central security agencies.
Such structures would come up in line with unified command comprising Army, central paramilitary organisations, intelligence agencies and state police which is currently operating in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
Like unified command, the coastal command in each state would be headed by either Chief Minister or Chief Secretary while the Navy or Coast Guard area chief will head the operational structure, the sources said.
However, the Centre will take consent from all the nine states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal — before taking a final decision.
According to the proposal, the national coastal command will look after the security aspects of the four Union Territories.