Maharashtra, which has witnessed a number of terror attacks with the latest being on Mumbai, has demanded constitution of a Central Coastal Security Authority.

 

Instead of demarcating the responsibilities between the state police, Navy, Coast Guards on-shore and off-shore for keeping vigil on big-Small boats on the Coast and in the sea, a Central Coastal Security Act should be enacted to handle all under one roof, state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said at the Chief Ministers conference on internal security in New Delhi on Tuesday (6^th January).

 

In order to strengthen and keep a better vigil on the coastal security, the state has taken a decision to purchase speed-boats at a cost of Rs 49 crores. Until the speed-boats are procured, 18 boats are to be hired on immediate basis.

 

Chavan also spoke about various measures taken by the state government to thwart terror attacks. According to him the State Intelligence Department (SID), state’s nodal agency for gathering intelligence, has a unit in each district. For Mumbai, it has 12 zonal units and one unit at airport to facilitate collection of information.

 

These intelligence units have operational coordination with Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), IB, Military Intelligence, Navy Intelligence, Department of Revenue Intelligence, ATS and the Anti-Naxal Operations.