Coast Guard to set up new stations

Kochi, Nov 10 (UNI) As part of a major 'Coastal Security Plan', the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is planning to set up more shore stations in the near future, ICG Director General R F Contractor said today.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function here, Vice-Admiral Contractor said that the new stations were planned to be set up at Dahanu in Maharashtra and Verawal in Gujarat and Camorta in the Nicobar Islands.

An air field station would also be set up at Ratnagiri, he said.

Coordinated patrolling was being undertaken by the Coast Guard and the Navy to check any infiltration bids, he said.

Asked about infiltration by the LTTE, he said that the Indian and Sri Lankan navies had a good information sharing system to ensure that any infiltrators or illegal immigrants are caught.

A ship laden with arms and ammunition had been apprehended between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka last year, he said.

Stating that the Indian services laid great stress on indigenisation of systems, Vice-Admiral Contractor said that the Coast Guard was looking forward to the induction of the indigenously manufactured offshore patrol vessel 'Samrat'.

''We hope that the trials for the OPV will go off successfully,'' he added.

UNI ARC KKS1432