Date:16/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041652290300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Coast Guard to get a berth at port

Staff Reporter

Negotiations are on with the officials and government agencies concerned

It will help it in better monitoring of the maritime activity along Andhra Pradesh coast
The Kakinada station of Coast Guard will soon have a patrol vessel of its own

Kakinada: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) secured formal clearance from the State Government for having an exclusive berth at the Kakinada port and it is in the process of signing an MoU with the government and Kakinada Seaport Limited (KSL) initially for a period of five to six years, according to K.P.S Raghuvanshi, the ICG Deputy Inspector General, Chennai.

Addressing media persons on board advanced offshore patrol vessel ICGS Sagar here on Tuesday, Mr. Raghuvanshi said ICG had expressed its willingness to pay for the dedicated berth to KSL, for which negotiations are on with officials and government agencies concerned.

Security aspect

The berth will be helpful to Kakinada station of ICG in better monitoring of the maritime activity along Andhra Pradesh coast. It will be of greater significance from the security aspect as ONGC, Reliance Industries, Cairn Energy and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited are rapidly expanding oil and gas explorations in K-G basin.

Union Minister of State for Defence and Kakinada MP M.M. Pallam Raju has directed the State Government to take necessary measures for the ICG to have dedicated berth at Kakinada port. Further, ICG Kakinada station Commanding Officer S.K. Nath met the higher officials of the State Government at Hyderabad recently as he was required to complete the formalities.

The Kakinada station of Coast Guard will soon have a patrol vessel of its own, which is being currently under construction at Surat.

Hitherto, ships are being deployed from Visakhapatnam depending on requirement.

The Coast Guard station in Kakinada was commissioned in November, 2006 by the Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who along with the Member of Parliament, Pallam Raju had played a crucial role in making the ICG set up its 29th station in this port city.