With the security of the state's coastline becoming a vital area of concern post 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Gujarat wants 12 more coastal police stations under the Centre’s Coastal Security Scheme (CSS). The state government has recently sent a proposal to New Delhi seeking sanction for these new police stations under the phase II of CSS, which is scheduled to be launched by April next year.

“Gujarat has a vast coastline of over 1,600 kms and we need more coastal police stations to guard it effectively. A detailed proposal for 12 more such police stations has been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs and we are awaiting their response,” said Secretary (Home) T S Bist.

According to records accessed by Newsline, the government wants these police stations at Jakhau, Mandavi and Kandla in Kutch, Salaya in Jamnagar, Mangrol in Junagadh, Jafrabad in Amreli, Alang in Bhavnagar, Vasad in Vadodara, Dahej in Bharuch, Dholai in Navsari and Umargaon and Umarsadi in Valsad. The proposal also asks for sanction of a total of 20 new Coastal Out Posts (COPs).

Launched in January 2005, the CSS (phase I) had an outlay of Rs 400 crore as non-recurring amount and Rs 151 crore as recurring expenses. It envisaged state-of-the-art police stations in all the coastal states and UTs at an estimated expenditure of Rs 18-21 lakh each. A total of 73 Coastal Police Stations were sanctioned for states like Gujarat,

Andra Pradesh, West Bangal, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu. A total of 10 coastal police stations were sanctioned for Gujarat, for which the Centre released Rs 58 crore.

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