Coastal security is Centre's highest priority: Antony
New Delhi:By giving top priority to coastal security the Union Government has placed an integrated approach to look after this. In a written reply to lawmaker A Vijayaraghavan
in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister AK Antony said: "The intelligence-sharing
mechanism has been streamlined through the creation of joint operation centres
and multi agency coordination mechanism." "Surface and air surveillance has been
enhanced by Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships and aircraft all along the coast
and in all offshore development areas," he added. He also informed the member
that joint operational exercises are taking place between Navy, Coast Guard, Coastal
Police and Customs in order to check the effectiveness of the new systems. "Central
Government is funding coastal States and Union Territories through coastal security
scheme for operationalisation of Coastal Police Stations, patrol boats etc for
coastal security," Antony said He added that the Indian Coast Guard has trained
1515 police personnel of costal states in handling crisis.
