Meeting of CMs of coastal states in Mumbai on June 16

In view of prevailing security threats on India's coastline, the central government has decided to convene a meeting of all chief ministers of coastal states in Mumbai on June 16 for enhancing entire security paradigm, an official said.

The decision to convene such a high-level meeting was taken shortly after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday reviewed coastal security and related issues at a meeting here with officials of various security agencies and departments concerned.

"The meeting of the chief ministers of all coastal states will be held in Mumbai on June 16," an official source told IANS.

The proposed meeting under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh will review all aspects of security along the country's over 7,500 km coastline, which is dotted with 12 major ports and 187 intermediate ports.

The central government has been implementing a 'Coastal Security Scheme' since 2005 for strengthening infrastructure for coastal patrolling and surveillance.

The states those will participate at the key meeting include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, while administrators of the union territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and lt. governors of Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also likely to attend the meeting.

--IANS

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