AHMEDABAD: Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that India must constantly be alert against its neighbours as he laid the cornerstone for a campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) in Okha, Gujarat.
“India has a land border that is 15,500 kilometres long and a sea border that is 7,500 km long, We also have neighbours, against whom we always need to maintain vigil,” Shah said, who was speaking at the ceremony where the ground-breaking rituals for the NACP campus was performed.
Attacking previous governments, Shah said, “Our nation has seen several negative events as a result of inconsistent coastline security. The Bombay blasts will never be forgotten by a nationalist. One sixty six innocent people were slaughtered as a result of a minor error. When the Mumbai terror attack unfolded (26/11 terror attacks), the nation’s security became a laughingstock around the world.”
The Union minister also mentioned that the soon-to-be-opened academy will churn out over 3,000 coastal police officers annually. The campus is coming up in the Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat.
Additionally, the Union minister expressed happiness at the ongoing development of the institution under the Border Security Force (BSF) on 450 acres. The Centre has approved spending of Rs 441 crore to build state-of-the-art training facilities, contemporary infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology for the NACP.
Praising the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said that the PM has always had the country’s armed forces in mind. He has improved their facilities, taken good care of their families, and given the army the modern equipment required for security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the academy’s establishment in 2018. The NACP was founded to offer comprehensive and advanced training to the Central Police Forces, the Marine Police of the nine Coastal States, and the Marine Police of the five Union Territories.
Shah also virtually opened five BSF Coastal Outposts off the coast of Jakhau in Kutch and one watchtower at Lakhpatwari in Sir Creek. Shah said, “During the 10 years of UPA rule, only `630 crore worth of drugs were seized.” Shah was referring to the combined operation between the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau that resulted in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 12,000 crore off the coast of Kerala. “This demonstrates that our Border Security Force (BSF) has become more vigilant,” the Union home minister said.