Union ministry to provide two boats to coastal police

PANAJI: The union home ministry has informed the government that the Goa coastal police would get its first set of a big craft and a medium-sized boat by April 2009.
���Two boats will be delivered. While one will have a 12 tonne capacity and will venture beyond 12 nautical miles, the other boat will have a 5 tonne capacity and will venture within 12 nautical miles,��� a top official said.
Further, the union ministry has called for an urgent meeting of all top police officials to discuss the coastal security in their states.Sources said that the meeting would look into the existing facilities of each state coastal police, as well as plans for the future.
The union defence ministry had placed orders for nine boats to be given to the Goa government to secure the seafront. An order was placed with the Goa Shipyard Limited for the manufacture of 6 big craft and three medium-sized ones. They would have taken atleast a year to be commissioned, but following the Mumbai attacks, the centre will now bear the cost of these craft.
However, even as the centre is hurrying up with its plans to provide boats to the Goa police, the state government seems to be sleeping over the issue. A top police source said, ���About 80 new posts have been created for technical staff in the coastal police, but the recruitment process has not yet started as the recruitment rules for them sent to the government for sanction has been lying in cold storage for the last 6 months,��� said a top official. These technical staff comprises boat handlers, engine operators, boat chiefs and others.
There are three coastal police stations ��� Harbour (Mormugao), Betul and Siolim with about 65 policemen posted at the three coastal police stations, and two in south Goa. While there are 25 police personnel each at Harbour and Siolim, Betul has 15.