The Government on Wednesday assured the Rajya Sabha that it was taking all steps to secure the 7,500 km long coastline in an effort to prevent 26/11 type Mumbai terror attack after some elders expressed concern over Pakistani boats found abandoned in Indian waters in the Rann of Kutch. Issues like fake currency notes of higher denomination post demonetization, use of synthetic drugs by youngsters and more funds for health sector also figured in the House.
Informing the members that four abandoned Pakistani boats were seized by the Border Security Force (BSF) in the Sir Creek area of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in January and February this year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said 11 such abandoned boats were seized in 2016 while four boats were found in 2015. He also said no goods or equipment were found in these boats.
When members sought to know steps taken to enhance coastal security, the Minister said the Navy was the lead agency for ensuring overall maritime security in collaboration with the Coast Guard and police of all littoral States.
Apart from activating 45 radar stations all along the coastline and providing boats and other equipment to the security agencies, the coastline was also monitored through space-based transponders. Moreover, the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence Network in Gurugram was co-ordinating all the inputs through various agencies and technological means on real time basis, he said.
Raising the issue of fake currency notes of new Rs500 and Rs2,000 notes denomination, T Subbarami Reddy (Congress) said this posed a threat to security and can destabilise the country’s economy. Noting that fake currency was getting smuggled through the India-Bangladesh border, he urged the RBI and Government to introduce security features in the currency notes to check the menace.
Rajiv Shukla (Congress) demanded that the Government should increase public expenditure in the new national health policy from the current 2.5 per cent of GDP to at least 3.5-4 per cent to cater to the poor. His party colleague Pramod Tiwari asked the Government to protect ‘Awadhi’ language spoken in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand by more than 3 crore people and sought its inclusion in the 8th schedule of the Constitution.
Vandana Chavan (NCP) raised the issue of increasing consumption of synthetic drugs among the youth and asked the Government to take concrete steps to stop it.