New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS): As many as 204 Coastal Police Stations have been operationalised by the Central government while implementing the Coastal Security Scheme (CSS), Phase I and II, to strengthen security against sea-borne threats, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, in reply to a question in Lok Sabha, “Under the Assistance to States and UTs for Modernisation of Police scheme Rs 63.35 crore has been released to nine coastal States and four Union Territories during the last two years and current financial year.”

While operationalising Coastal Police Stations, 204 boats, 37 jetties, 284 four-wheelers, 554 two-wheelers, 97 check-posts, 58 out-posts, and 30 barracks have been provided to the coastal states/UTs. Further, six Marine Police Operation Centres (MPOC) have been constructed in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Minister said in reply to questions from Dilip Saikia and Kamlesh Jangde.

Elaborating on the steps taken by the Government for training, capacity building and modernisation of coastal police, the MoS said a National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) has been set up in District Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat. To date, 1,725 personnel from coastal police/customs/BSF/CISF have been trained in various courses.

The MoS said the Coastal Police personnel are also trained in the Coast Guard Training Centre, Kochi and at Coast Guard District Headquarters in all coastal states/UTs. To date, 13,879 Coastal Police personnel have been trained.

He said the Indian Coast Guard conducts Joint Coastal Patrolling (JCP) with Coastal Police. A total of 3,374 JCP sorties and the embarkation of 8,122 personnel have been undertaken since the commencement of JCP in August 2020.

Coastal police also participate in coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ and coastal security drill ‘Sajag’ aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination and achieving robust coastal security mechanisms, the MoS said.

He said although police and public order are State subjects, as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the Central government supplements the efforts of the States for equipping and modernizing their police forces.