Karunanidhi calls for plugging gaps in southern coast security

NEW DELHI - Warning of a security threat to the nation through the southern coast, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday called for “attention through resources and personnel”, including better air surveillance capabilities.

“The coastal waters of south need to be paid some attention through resources and personnel as the land borders in north, west and east are being attended to. The threat to security of the nation from coast has manifested earlier with ominous implications,” Karunanidhi said at the fourth Chief Ministers Conference on internal security here.

“It is requested that our demand for more vessels, police stations and manpower and better air surveillance capabilities may be considered favourably,” he said at the conference, which was addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

Karunanidhi also referred to security threats through cyber space.

“Day in and day out, the cyber space is being used by criminals to cheat gullible and innocent citizens causing loss of money and harassment. A comprehensive strategy on behalf of government of India on this is called for,” he said.

Referring to the repeated killings of the Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, Karunanidhi said: “Fishermen who cross international borders unwittingly and apprehended by other neighbouring countries in the west and the east are not subjected to physical harm.”

However, he added, “Indian fishermen who cross the international maritime border off Sri Lanka are repeatedly subjected to physical harm, harassment and at times get killed”.

“The Sri Lankan government must be asked to follow the due procedure of law as we do in the case of Sri Lankan fishermen who cross into Indian waters.”

Karunanidhi also said that the Sri Lankan government should abide by the October 2008 India-Sri Lanka joint statement on fishing arrangements that stated that there should be no firing on Indian fishermen.

According to Karunanidhi, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to establish a Central Police Recruit School to train about 3,000 police constables at a time.

He said the state government has strengthened the intelligence machinery by sanctioning 600 new posts.

Karunanidhi also urged the union government to release Rs.266 crore to the state under the centrally funded scheme of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System.

On the police reforms, he said the state government has separated law and order and crime functions at the police station level.

“The Police Bill has also been introduced and is now before a select committee of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly,” Karunanidhi said.

Requesting higher allocation of funds by the central government for modernisation of the police force, Karunanidhi suggested the creation of a separate centrally funded scheme for Mega City Policing. This, he said, could be announced in the forthcoming union budget.