Shipyards told to speed up interceptor boats: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) To strengthen coastal security
in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, Indian government has
instructed Defence shipyards to speed up building of
interceptor boats for coastal states like Gujarat and
Maharashtra, the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament)
was informed Tuesday.

Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram said during Question
Hour that the government would start the phase II of the
coastal security scheme this year and has set deadlines for
supplying 204 boats of 12-tonne and 5-tonne capacity before
September 30 this year.

Chidambaram said 30 boats of the 204 boats would be
supplied to Gujarat and 28 to Maharashtra.

"24 boats would be supplied to the states by July 31 and
another 59 by September 30 this year," he said.

Out of the six 5-tonne boats and the five 12-tonne boats
already handed over to the states, one each was given to
Gujarat.

The Goa Shipyard and the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers were building the boats for the nine coastal states
of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal, and four union
territories of Puducherry, Lakhshadeep, Daman and Diu, and
Andaman and Nicobar islands.

He said the Centre had also approved setting up of 73
coastal police stations for these states and union
territories, apart from 97 checkposts, 58 outposts and 30
barracks.

"I want to compliment Gujarat for operationalising all
the 10 police stations approved for the border. However, of
the 46 checkposts, not one has been made operational. I urge
all the state governments to first operationalise the allotted
number of police stations, checkposts, outposts and barracks.
The remaining requirements of each state would be taken up in
Phase-II of the coastal security scheme," Chidambaram said.

The Home Minister was replying to queries from Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) member Harin Pathak, who wanted to know why
the Centre had not approved a higher number of police
stations, check posts, outposts and barracks sought by Gujarat
government.

He also noted that Maharashtra too had operationalised
all 12 coastal police stations approved for it, but only nine
of the check posts were ready and urged the State government
to operationlise the approved number of 32 checkposts and 24
barracks.

Chidambaram said the Centre had approved a coastal
security outlay of Rs 371 crore, of which Rs 58.42 crore had
been allocated for Gujarat.

"Gujarat has got the highest share of the allocation.
I agree that this allocation is not enough," he said.

Chidambaram said the outlay for the five-year Coastal
Security Scheme, approved in January 2005, was Rs 400 crore
for non-recurring expenditure and Rs 151 crore for recurring
expenditure on fuel, maintenance and repairs of vessels and
personnel training, including a lump sum of Rs 10 lakh per
coastal police station. PTI NCB
DDC