The training for the first batch of Coastal Security Police (CSP) or Marine Police began at the Coast Guard facility in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
The first batch consisted of 20 constables and they will be trained in various seafaring aspects such as basic seamanship and navigation, marine engineering, safety at sea, use of weapons at sea and fire fighting.
This is a government of India programme and all the 709 personnel will be trained by the Coast Guard in batches, Inspector General of Police Coastal Security Police Surya Prakash Rao told The Hindu .
“The training curriculum was finalised by the Indian Coast Guard and Bureau of Police Research and Development, New Delhi, it covers various aspects of ‘sea going’, where ‘Policeman’ is trained to become a ‘Policeman at sea’,” he said.
Reserve Battalion shortly
The CSP has a sanctioned strength of 1,872 personnel for its 21 police stations along the coast in Andhra Pradesh. Grossly short-staffed, it has 709 personnel including 100 officers.
But according to Mr. Surya Prakash Rao, the short-staffing will be overcome shortly with the sanction of the first Marine Reserve Battalion (MRB).
“The MRB has been okayed in principle by the Central Government and the State has been sanctioned two MRBs. Each battalion will have a strength of 1,000 men, who will be fresh recruits and well-trained. While the Central Government will fund the MRB for the first 10 years, thereafter it will be the State’s responsibility,” said the IGP.
Coastal Security Guards
This apart, the recruitment of 592 coastal security guards (CSG) has been cleared by the State government. One CSG will be recruited from each of the 592 coastal villages from the fisherman community and they will basically serve for gathering intelligence at all landing points. AP coast has about 480 landing points with little over 353 being operational.
CSP has at present 18 fast patrol boats of which 11 are operational. But according to Mr. Surya Prakash Rao, 30 more boats are under various stages of construction at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.
According to him, the main delay for the supply of boats is due to manpower. As of now CSP has only 20 trained men to a sanctioned strength of 192 for operating the boats. The GO has been issued but the formal recruitment is yet to be announced.
“Along with the recruitment of the boat operators, the government has also okayed the proposal for 50 per cent extra allowance for CSP personnel and the appointment of a commandant rank officer from the Coast Guard or Navy on deputation to take care of the technical aspects of the boat,” said Mr. Surya Prakash Rao.
Independent body
The GO for recognising CSP as an independent body is expected to be released in a week’s time. Once independent, CSP will function like any other paramilitary force such as CISF or RPF.
Apart from financial and operational independence, we will have new weaponry, which has been already sanctioned, a separate training facility at Machilipatnam, two more new police stations, and 15 new jetties to the existing seven, he said. “The DPR for the 15 new jetties is ready and will be sent to the Centre shortly. This apart we have asked for 26 satellite phones and at least one all-terrain-vehicle for each of the police stations,” said Mr. Surya Prakash Rao.
