CCS clears Rs 2,150 cr proposal to enhance coastal security

The CCS meeting, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cleared proposals worth Rs 2,150 crore under which five offshore patrol vessel would be brought for the Coast Guard for Rs 1,500 crore, defence sources told PTI here.

As part of the proposals, Rs 640 crore would be spent on setting up the second phase of coastal security network under which 38 radars would be established to create a "near-gaffe free electronic surveillance along the entire coastal area".

Under Coastal Security Network (CSN) phase-I, Defence Minister A K Antony had recently inaugurated coastal radars in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Another such radar has also started functioning in Kochi (Kerala).

The Ministry is hopeful that the CSN phase-I would be completed by March next year and work on the phase II of the programme will be initiated immediately after it.

With the setting up of CSN, Antony had said, the Ministry aims to achieve a near-gap-free electronic surveillance along the coastal areas.

After the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, the government has taken several measures to strengthen Coast Guard including doubling the maritime agency's manpower and assets.

As part of its plans, the government has cleared several proposals which will result in the doubling up of manpower and assets of the maritime guarding force.