Antony steps up coastal security plans
9 Oct 2012 6:34 AM IST
The Supreme Court Monday refused to interfere with the military training imparted to Sri Lankan army and air force personnel in India. Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai dismissed a PIL filed by advocate N. Rajaraman, observing that the court cannot go into policy decisions of the govt having foreign policy implications. The court said the petition was misconceived.
The petitioner submitted that the govt cannot train Sri Lankan military personnel and cited letters written by TN CM Jayalalithaa and other political leaders in the state. Jayalalithaa has argued that India must not train Lankan soldiers because of allegations of atrocities on Tamils in 2009.
Defence minister, AK Antony, Monday fixed a deadline for the Navy and the Coast Guards completing the radar installations at the identified spots of the coasts of the mainland by 26 November next and for islands, March 2013.
He insisted on these days at a full scale coastal security review meeting attended by all the stake-the holders including the National Security Adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, Cabinet Secretary, Ajit Seth, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral DK Joshi and other secretaries and senior officials of the from the home ministry, fisheries, besides the new Defence Production Secretary, RK Mathur. Antony also pointed out to the senior officials that these static radars, along with the Automatic Identification Systems were all a part of the phase I of coastal security umbrella. The phase II will be launched soon.
Navy sources say that the static coastal radars have been fully deployed in the western coast and is ongoing in the eastern coast. The AIS, which is like the ‘Identify Friend or Foe’ instrument in aviation, have been installed on almost all the large ships. But these are yet to be installed on the smaller boats above 20 feet because it is entangled in the decision-making processes of the state governments on questions like who is going to pay for the instruments etc.
The minister, while expressing confidence in the Navy and the Coast Guards completing their tasks on time, asked the Cabinet Secretary, Seth to fix time lines for monitoring the tasks of the other stakeholders, including the coastal states.
The petitioner submitted that the govt cannot train Sri Lankan military personnel and cited letters written by TN CM Jayalalithaa and other political leaders in the state. Jayalalithaa has argued that India must not train Lankan soldiers because of allegations of atrocities on Tamils in 2009.
Defence minister, AK Antony, Monday fixed a deadline for the Navy and the Coast Guards completing the radar installations at the identified spots of the coasts of the mainland by 26 November next and for islands, March 2013.
He insisted on these days at a full scale coastal security review meeting attended by all the stake-the holders including the National Security Adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, Cabinet Secretary, Ajit Seth, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral DK Joshi and other secretaries and senior officials of the from the home ministry, fisheries, besides the new Defence Production Secretary, RK Mathur. Antony also pointed out to the senior officials that these static radars, along with the Automatic Identification Systems were all a part of the phase I of coastal security umbrella. The phase II will be launched soon.
Navy sources say that the static coastal radars have been fully deployed in the western coast and is ongoing in the eastern coast. The AIS, which is like the ‘Identify Friend or Foe’ instrument in aviation, have been installed on almost all the large ships. But these are yet to be installed on the smaller boats above 20 feet because it is entangled in the decision-making processes of the state governments on questions like who is going to pay for the instruments etc.
The minister, while expressing confidence in the Navy and the Coast Guards completing their tasks on time, asked the Cabinet Secretary, Seth to fix time lines for monitoring the tasks of the other stakeholders, including the coastal states.
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