National   

Combined effort needed to defeat piracy: Defence Minister

NEW DELHI: Conceding that the task of tackling piracy was not easy, Defence Minister A. K. Antony has said that greater international effort under the United Nations would be required to put an end to it.

Stating that besides the presence in the Gulf of Aden of navies of big players — including the United States, United Kingdom, France and China — to combat piracy, India too was present conducting [a] similar mission, but it would not be possible to defeat the scourge without a combined effort.

Mr. Antony told journalists on the sidelines of a Defence Ministry function that on account of action by the naval forces present there, Somali pirates were moving towards the Indian coast. In the past one year, there had been some attempts by the pirates mostly in the Lakshadweep area. Since then, the Navy and Coast Guard had increased surveillance in the region.

The issue would figure in the talks Mr. Antony would have with Filipe Jacinto Nyussi, Mozambique Minister of National Defence, later this week. Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in training and maritime patrolling in the wake of piracy off the east coast of Africa.

Concern over

ex-servicemen

Earlier, presiding over a meeting of the Kendriya Sainik Board, the apex body of the Central government and States/Union Territories for ex-servicemen welfare, the Minister said the country could not afford to waste a vast reservoir of a disciplined workforce bearing skills in a wide range of trades.

With around 50,000 to 60,000 service personnel either retiring/released from service every year, he urged all State governments to take steps to ensure reservation in jobs for ex-servicemen.

“They possess hands-on work experience in about 300 trades and are a young, disciplined workforce that can be of immense benefit for the society and nation. We cannot afford to waste such a young and vastly trained reservoir of workforce,” Mr. Antony said.

The Minister also expressed concern over jobs earmarked for ex-servicemen lying vacant for long.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

CBI to track 2G money trail in Switzerland
Lateral shifts among top four possible
Crackdown on rave: police inspector suspended
“UGC regulations for deemed universities a retrograde step”
Police track down suspects to Rameswaram
Combined effort needed to defeat piracy: Defence Minister
18 more Somali pirates held on Dwarka coast
Kashmir to witness mega cricket tournament
Ranjan Mathai is new Foreign Secretary
Rahul Gandhi visits Dalit girl at AIIMS
Green rating helps get environmental nod faster
126 sonography centres sealed in Maharashtra

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu