Four more Coastal Security Police stations to come up

This is an initiative to combat sea-borne terrorism

S.M. Jaamdar, Principal Secretary, Department of Home, seen at a function inMangalore on Wednesday. Seemat Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police and Alok Mohan, Inspector General of Police are seen. Photo: R. Eswarraj

Four new Coastal Security Police (CSP) stations will come up in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts this year, said Principal Secretary to the Department of Home S.M. Jaamdar.

Mr. Jaamdar told presspersons here on Wednesday that setting up new police stations was a part of initiatives of the government to strengthen coastal security and combat sea-borne terrorism.

Mr. Jaamdar said the new Coastal Security Police stations would come up in Gangolli and Tadadi. “The government has selected the sites. Money has to be released,” he said.

The 320-km long coastline between Talapady in Dakshina Kannada and Sadashivagad in Uttara Kannada now had five Coastal Security Police stations. They were located in Mangalore, Malpe, Bhatkal, Kumta, and Karwar.

System

Mr. Jaamdar said the State government was involved with the Centre's project to set up a system that would facilitate identification of fishing and other boats.

Mr. Jaamdar said the system enabled identification of boats that were 100 km away. This system was being set up at a cost of Rs. 6,000 crore, he said.

Problem

Mr. Jaamdar agreed that there was a problem in getting experienced personnel for handling CSPs' surveillance boats. “We have to recruit 60 personnel. Only 37 have applied even after three attempts,” he said. The department had requested the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard to send personnel on deputation or give a list of their personnel who could be recruited.

Mr. Jaamdar said 15 surveillance boats at the command of five CSPs could not be used for operations in high seas and during four months of monsoon. These boats did have some maintenance problems. The Goa Shipping Yard, which provided the boats, had now opened three service stations to attend to the problems, he said.

The State government was going ahead with creating a strong force for the Anti-Naxalite Operations. While being based in Karkala, this force would have its units in 13 naxalite affected areas.

The force would be trained in jungle warfare, to defuse bombs, and other anti-terrorist activities.

“We are finalising the training programme. The recruitment is going on,” he said. To combat terrorism in urban areas, the Commando Training Centre in the State had so far trained three batches of 80 officers.

The process of selection for the fourth batch was now on. Mr. Jaamdar said the State government had earmarked Rs. 3.5 crore this year for setting up infrastructure related to the training centre.