Union Home Ministry has convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of all coastal States on June 16 in Mumbai to review the coastal security scenario.
The meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, will review all aspects of security along the country’s 7,517-km coastline, which is dotted with 12 major ports and 187 minor or intermediate ports.
“We will create better, robust security system on our coastline. Chief Ministers of nine coastal States and four UTs will meet in Mumbai on June 16,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters here on Monday.
The meeting is expected to focus on the implementation aspects and progress vis-a-vis the entire range of issues relating to maritime/coastal security which, include uniform system for registration for fishing and other vessels, uniform system of issuance of multipurpose national ID cards to fishermen, issuance of identity cards to the population living in the coastal villages, installation of navigational and communication equipments on the fishing vessels.
The Central Government has been implementing a ‘Coastal Security Scheme’ since 2005 for strengthening infrastructure for coastal patrolling and surveillance. Under the scheme, assistance is given to all coastal states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal -- and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands to set up coastal police stations, check posts, outposts and constructing operational barracks and to equip them with high-speed boats, jeeps and motorcycles for mobility on the coast and in close coastal waters. A lump-sum assistance of Rs 10 lakh per police station is also given for equipment, computers and furniture.