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Goa to set up coastal security police force

Special Correspondent

`To check subversive activities along the coastline'

PANAJI: Goa will set up a Coastal Security Police (CSP) force, which will join hands with various other agencies to step up vigil on the coast as part of broader coastal security management plans of the Union Home Ministry.

The proposed CSP is expected to co-ordinate and jointly operate with other agencies such as the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Captains of Ports, etc., to check illegal craft and subversive activities from the coastline to the International Water line of control so that the coast of Goa is effectively protected.

The proposal for the forceis to be fully supported by the Union Home Ministry. Director General of Police Neeraj Kumar told The Hindu on Wednesday that "the set-up includes three police stations, one of which would come up at Cavellosim - tourist belt - in South Goa, while two others will be set up at Candolim and Morjim in North Goa."

The proposed expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 24.70 lakh on each CSP and around Rs. 1633.50 lakh on boats and all other equipment and infrastructure needed for the set-up. Already, the proposal for the CSP and procurement of high-speed patrol boats has been accepted. The plan is to train the recruited personnel for specialised skills under the Coast Guard or other specialised agencies such as National Institute of Water Sports, said Mr. Kumar.

Apart from high tourist activity, wherein the State attracts about 2 million tourists every year, out of which around 3 lakh are foreign tourists, the 105 km coastline of the State has in its proximity a number of vital installations. For instance, the major port of Mormugao Port Trust in South has plans for expansion including berths for passenger cruises.

However, sources in the security agencies said the existing coastal security arrangement is seen to have inadequacies like poor port security, poor intelligence infrastructure, etc. Moreover, most of the seacoast is vulnerable for landings.

With the recent capture of an alleged militant and the intelligence warnings from time to time that Goa as an international tourist destination could be a potential target for terrorist strike, the proposal assumes significance.

The national security agencies seem to be unwilling to think about the tiny coastal State in isolation. "With the militant\terrorist related activities along the coastline in the neighbouring States such as Maharashtra and Gujarat having shown rise in recent times, lack of specific incident is no reason for complacency when viewed in the light of international terrorist strikes like Bali explosion," said sources in the Police.

Sources in the security agencies here also pointed out that the State, which has a wide network of inland waterways apart from the Arabian Sea on its southern side, has a history of smuggling activity. Several unguarded jetties and some of the far-off islands have traditionally served as landing points for narcotics and gold\silver smuggling in the past.

The plan is also to merge the existing marine police set-up into the proposed coastal security force, said Mr. Kumar. The State launched a marine police force in 2002 and armed it with a couple of speed boats and fibre glass canoes.

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Goa to set up coastal security police force

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