The Government was not making serious efforts to bolster coastal and maritime security in the wake of 26\\11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 where terrorists sneaked into the city from sea, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has observed. The committee wanted all stakeholders to plug loopholes in coastal defence.
The committee noted the failure of the National Committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security(NCSMCS), formed in 2009 under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary, to review and take corrective steps regarding projects for timely completion of various coastal security projects.
The Parliamentary panel’s report tabled in the just concluded Budget Session of Parliament said the irregularity in frequency of meetings of NCSMCS, which sometimes take place almost after a year, is a matter of concern.
“From this, the Committee deduce that the seriousness incorporated in approach towards maritime security in the aftermath of 26\\11 has somewhat started diluting in course of time.”
Noting that till date seven meetings of NCSMCS were held, the panel said, “NCSMCS should maintain consistency and regularity in talks by way of holding meeting at regular intervals to keep track of progress of execution of various projects.”
The panel said the NCSMCS has onus of implementation of important decision regarding maritime and coastal security and has representation of all stakeholders including Navy, Coast Guard, Intelligence agencies, local police, Ministries of Home, Shipping Agriculture, Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance.
As regards measures taken to enhance coastal security network in two phases by installing radars and setting up intelligence gathering hubs in littoral States, the Standing Committee said despite good efforts in this direction more need to be done in order to make out coastal border safe.
Phase one which was completed some months back saw installation of more than 40 radars in all the nine littoral States at a cost of more than `500 crore. The next phase to be completed in the next two years will cover all the islands including Andaman and Nicobar and lakshadweep.
The Standing Committee asked the Government to ensure that targets set for phase two are achieved with set time-frame besides covering the gaps emerging from phase one and called for details of phase one and two.
Incidentally, the Navy and Coast Guard are regularly carrying out joint exercises with all the other stakeholders including the local police to gather intelligence in real time and interdict the intruding vessel or terrorists before any damage is done.
In fact, the Navy has held a series of camps in all the littoral States with stress on spreading awareness amongst the fishermen and termed them as eyes and ears of coastal security.
Fishermen are also regularly instructed to inform the police or the Coast Guard about movement of any suspicious looking ship or persons on the coast or in deep sea.