<p>The Centre has convened a meeting of chief ministers of nine coastal states in Mumbai to review security preparedness on June 16.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The meeting will be chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which measures to further strengthen coastal security would be discussed. The Indian coasts are still vulnerable to terror strikes and measures are being taken to plug the loopholes.<br /><br />India has a 7,517-km coastline, which has 12 major ports and 187 minor or intermediate ports.<br />“We will create better, robust security system on our coastline. Chief ministers of nine coastal states and four UTs will meet in Mumbai on June 16,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters.<br /><br />The meeting will also review the first and second phases of Coastal Security Scheme (CSS), which is aimed at strengthening infrastructure for coastal patrolling and surveillance.<br /><br />As per the scheme, assistance is given to all coastal states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal — and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The money can be spent for setting up coastal police stations, check posts, outposts and constructing operational barracks and to equip them with high-speed boats, jeeps and motorcycles for mobility on the coast and in close coastal waters.<br /><br />The Phase-I (2005-11) and Phase-II of CSS (2011-16) have a financial outlay of Rs 1,580 crore.<br />Ahead of the meeting with the chief ministers, Singh conducted a review meeting on coastal security with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday.<br /><br />Officials informed the minister that 108 of the 131 coastal police stations sanctioned under CSS Phase-II have been already operationalised.<br /><br />The ministry has told a Parliamentary Standing Committee in April that a proposal for seeking approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security for extension of the period of implementation of the Phase-II for a period of 3 years is under process. The Phase-II period ended on March 31.<br /><br />The panel said Phase-II was to be completed on March 31 but a lot of work is yet to be done under this scheme and expressed hope that the CSS would approve the proposals. It wanted the government to make all-out efforts to complete this scheme during extended time period without any time and cost overrun.<br />DH News Service<br /><br /></p>
<p>The Centre has convened a meeting of chief ministers of nine coastal states in Mumbai to review security preparedness on June 16.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The meeting will be chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which measures to further strengthen coastal security would be discussed. The Indian coasts are still vulnerable to terror strikes and measures are being taken to plug the loopholes.<br /><br />India has a 7,517-km coastline, which has 12 major ports and 187 minor or intermediate ports.<br />“We will create better, robust security system on our coastline. Chief ministers of nine coastal states and four UTs will meet in Mumbai on June 16,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters.<br /><br />The meeting will also review the first and second phases of Coastal Security Scheme (CSS), which is aimed at strengthening infrastructure for coastal patrolling and surveillance.<br /><br />As per the scheme, assistance is given to all coastal states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal — and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The money can be spent for setting up coastal police stations, check posts, outposts and constructing operational barracks and to equip them with high-speed boats, jeeps and motorcycles for mobility on the coast and in close coastal waters.<br /><br />The Phase-I (2005-11) and Phase-II of CSS (2011-16) have a financial outlay of Rs 1,580 crore.<br />Ahead of the meeting with the chief ministers, Singh conducted a review meeting on coastal security with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday.<br /><br />Officials informed the minister that 108 of the 131 coastal police stations sanctioned under CSS Phase-II have been already operationalised.<br /><br />The ministry has told a Parliamentary Standing Committee in April that a proposal for seeking approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security for extension of the period of implementation of the Phase-II for a period of 3 years is under process. The Phase-II period ended on March 31.<br /><br />The panel said Phase-II was to be completed on March 31 but a lot of work is yet to be done under this scheme and expressed hope that the CSS would approve the proposals. It wanted the government to make all-out efforts to complete this scheme during extended time period without any time and cost overrun.<br />DH News Service<br /><br /></p>
