KOCHI: Reinforcing Kochi’s growing strategic importance, the Naval Base, Cochin Shipyard and MG Road and its surrounding areas have been listed as high-security zones by the Union ministry of home affairs.
In an extraordinary gazette notification, the Central government said information with respect to certain activities carried on in these places shall be useful to an enemy, and that it considers it expedient that special precautions shall be taken to prevent access of unauthorised persons to such places. It cited the exercise of powers conferred by the Official Secrets Act in declaring the prohibitory orders. The entry of public is to be restricted in these areas under central government organisations.
The waterbody bordering Cochin Shipyard and MG Road, Container Freight Station, Naval Jetty and inland waterways Ro-Ro Jetty, the area bordering Cochin Port Trust Quarter and Naval Base, Cochin Port Trust Land, Cochin Port Trust Quarters, Kendriya Vidyalaya Port Trust, the area bordering Konkan Storage Oil Tanks, Kundanoor Highway and Walkway and Naval Airport are the locations mentioned in the notification issued by the ministry on February 15.
The Official Secrets Act of 1923 states that one cannot approach, inspect, or even pass over a prohibited government site or area. A ‘prohibited place’ under the Act is “the place of any work of Defence Dockyard and other so belonging or occupied and used for the purpose of building, repairing, making, or storing any ammunitions of war.”The entry of public, flying drones, and the capturing of images using cameras, mobile phones, etc, are already prohibited in the Shipyard and Naval Base areas.
‘Move intended to enhance security in defence areas’
INS Vikrant, the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier that was commissioned recently, was built at the Cochin Shipyard, where construction of a second aircraft carrier is set to commence soon. The Southern Naval Command, headquartered in Kochi, is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy.
Officials said the move is intended to enhance security in the defence areas which house several strategic assets. “Recently, many vloggers and others captured images of this area and upload them on social media. Those caught are to be taken to the police station and released after being issued a warning. However, with the new order, the offenders will be charged under the Official Secrets Act,” a top Naval officer said. Stringent surveillance will be implemented in these areas, he added.
Kochi city police are, however, yet to receive the order. “Any response in this regard will thus be premature. The areas mentioned are already under high-security cover and the new move could involve an extension of the same,” a police officer told TNIE.
Besides Kochi, locations in Gaya (Bihar), Bhopal (MP), Durg (Chhatisgarh), Udaipur (Rajasthan), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and Hyderabad (Telangana) also figure in the list.