The Indian Coast Guard has sought expeditious allotment of land to set up an operational base here as compensation for the land it had given up to the government for tsunami rehabilitation a few years ago.
Inspector General S.P. Sharma, Commander Coast Guard Region (East), met Chief Secretary Manoj Parida on Tuesday to press the case of speeding up the allotment of about 28.68 acres of land in Karuvadikuppam to the Coast Guard. The land is crucial for expansion activities of the Coast Guard that had upgraded its unit here to Indian Coast Guard District Head Quarters No. 13 last year.
The headquarter unit, with jurisdiction over the coastal districts of Puducherry, Karaikal, Cuddalore and Villupuram, has been envisaged as a hub for coastal security that would be responsible for coordinating surveillance, pollution and search and rescue response.
Among its expansion plans are proposals for establishing an Air Enclave, doubling its hovercraft fleet from the two UK-made air cushion vehicles it acquired in 2013 and establishing a dedicated boat jetty for its vessels at the Puducherry port.
“We are working towards a solution for their land requirement. What is being proposed is that the Coast Guard purchases the land at Karuvadikuppam and a mechanism is drawn up to compensate for the land they returned to the government,” Mr. Parida said.
On a rough estimate, the land at Karuvadikuppam could cost in the vicinity of Rs.100 crore. In 2006, the Puducherry government had allotted 20 acres of land for the ICG in Veerampattinam.
However, after the tsunami of 2004, public pressure on resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced fishermen led to the Coast Guard returning the land to the government in 2013.
Mr. Sharma also discussed provision of other facilities for the Coast Guard such as a hangar at the airport, more spacious rooms for its crew at the Thengaithittu fishing harbour and berthing facilities for its vessels at the Puducherry and Karaikal ports. Puducherry Coast Guard Commandant N. Somasundaram and IG of Police Praveer Ranjan also participated.
