Coast Guard's expansion plan flounders in 'unsafe' Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: Indian Coast Guard's five-year capacity expansion plan for its North West Regional Headquarters in Gandhinagar has hit a roadblock. Sophisticated equipment like radars and sensors are lying boxed-up with no space to be deployed. A reason for this is indecision on the part of Gujarat Government to allot land to the country's youngest armed force, which had set up the regional headquarters (NW) here after the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.
Gujarat government is yet to allocate 65 acre land requested by Indian Coast Guard for its regional heaquarters (NW) and take decisions with regard requests for land in coastal areas including Jakhau, Mundra, Okha, Porbandar, Veraval and Pipavav. Up to ten requests are under re-evaluation or pending approval at various levels from district collectorate to cabinet, sources said.
The ICG had asked for just 7000 square metres of land to construct an approach road in Jakhau. ICG did not get its possession even after it had paid Rs 4 lakhs in 2011 to authorities concerned as the cost of the land is being further re-evaluated. Two letters from ICG requesting the state government for waive off have not elicited any response.
In Pipavav, ICG paid Rs 40 lakhs for 16,000 sq metre of land in March 2012 but the allotment has been cancelled by Amreli district collector citing that the plot was gauchar land. Even in cases where ICG had made the payments for land, re-evaluations are underway and interest is being asked for by the state government for pending payments. There is no provision for interest payment between Centre and state governments on pending amounts, the sources said.
Contrast this with Gujarat Government's writ petition in Supreme Court on April 7, 2012. It had submitted that it was vulnerable to terrorism and infiltration owing to its proximity to Pakistan and a porous 1,600 km long coastline. The state drew comparisons with Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab in the 1980s and West Bengal in the 1970s.
Principal Secretary (Revenue) CL Meena did not comment as he was tied up at a collectors conference. Additional secretary Hemendra Shah did not return calls.
Indian Air Force in 2006 had requested for an additional 100 acre of land contiguous to its South Western Air Command HQ in Gandhinagar. The rate offered was Rs 7200 per sq metre before allotment at Rs 1,100 per sq metre.