BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to enhance security along the state’s 480-km-long coastline, Odisha Police has planned to strengthen patrolling in the sea by adding more boats to the fleet of Marine police stations.
DGP YB Khurania said 18 marine police stations in Odisha are equipped with only 13 boats which have also become old. “As per guidelines, marine police stations are supposed to carry out patrolling in the sea up to 12 nautical miles. To enhance our presence, a proposal has been submitted to the state government to take at least 10 mechanised boats on rent for patrolling purposes.”
Khurania said he is hopeful that discussions on strengthening the infrastructure of marine police stations will take place when the supplementary budget is placed in the Assembly and the required funds provided to them.
Once the funds are allocated, efforts will also be made to launch drone surveillance over the state’s coastline. The DGP said Odisha Police is also planning to procure new interceptor boats and a proposal in this regard will be sent to the state government.
Under the Coastal Security Scheme of the Centre, 18 marine police stations were sanctioned for Odisha to strengthen security along its entire coast. The aim and objective of such police stations is to check export of illegal arms, contraband articles through sea route, infiltration of unauthorised persons, entry of anti-national elements, illegal/unregulated fishing and to guard against attack on vital installations along the coastline.
However, the marine police stations of the state face a major hurdle due to shortage of the required funds. Odisha Police’s coastal security wing does not even have a command and control centre or a jetty of its own. It also does not have a permanent office and is functioning on the premises of the old building of the Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).