Post 26/11, Indian Coast Guard strengthens base in Gujarat
Following the Mumbai terror attacks, the Indian Coast Guard has decided to set up their North Western Region base in Gujarat with its headquarters in Gandhinagar. What's more! To beef up security, 'Vijaya', a modern patrolling ship equipped with an onboard helicopter has already been re-based from Mumbai to Porbandar permanently to defend Gujarat's sea coast.
It may be recalled that the terrorists had used a crawler-M V Kuber to launch terror attacks in Mumbai using Porbandar waters.
The move is part of Gujarat being turned into a North Western Region for Indian Coast Guards as sanctioned by the Central government. Earlier, Gujarat coast used to come under the jurisdiction of Western Region headquartered out of Mumbai.
"The Porbandar-based Indian Coast Guard had a longstanding demand of a big ship to protect the area ever since MV Kuber boat sailed out of here. Finally the demand has been fulfilled with Porbandar getting a modern patrolling ship 'Vijaya' that has been re-based from Mumbai and will now operate permanently from here," said a defence spokesperson.
According to the official, the North Western Region will now be headed by an officer of the rank of IG and will soon witness expansion in terms of manpower as well as equipment.
Meanwhile, the ship 'Vijaya', which used to visit Porbandar coast, will be the first big ship based out of Gujarat. The vessel carries a helicopter on board, apart from a pollution response equipment to fight oil spills on sea as well as a mini operation theatre for immediate first aid and treatment to the rescued victims at sea.
Armed with two powerful marine ‘pelistic’ engines, the ship is commanded by a Commandant having vast sea and air experience. It has a team of nine officers and 85 sailors. It also carries additional specialist officers and sailors, when need arises. 'Vijaya' has long endurance and can stay in the sea for a 22-days-long period.
"The vessel will not only provide better equipment for security and patrolling at Porbandarbut will also strengthen the air wing.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
VAT on BSF canteen items to go: Badal
VAT on BSF canteen items to go:
Hoshiarpur, August 25Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this evening took the salute from second batch of 154 trainee women cops (GD) and 147 male constables at the passing-out parade at Subsidiary Training Centre of the Border Security Force at Kharkan village, 12 km from here.
Badal rued the decreasing number of Punjabi youths in officer ranks of the Indian Army. There was a time when 50 per cent officers in the Army were from Punjab, he said. To reverse the trend, the state government would set up an education-cum-Army training centre at Mohali. After getting education from this centre, the youth could join the Army, Badal said.
Accepting the demand of the Inspector-General, Badal said VAT would not be charged on items in BSF canteen. He also agreed to provide complete equipment of gymnasium at the STC Centre of the BSF at Kharkan.
He was impressed to witness the parade of women cops, who after completing 36 weeks of training, participated in the parade today.
Lauding the BSF for protecting Indian borders and maintaining peace in the country, Badal said the BSF was the pride of the country and known for discipline and dedication.
In a humorous vein the Chief Minister asked Inspector-General, Punjab Frontier, BSF, Himmat Singh to provide physical training to the MLAs so that they could serve people more effectively. Later, Badal told reporters that MPs and MLAs of Punjab would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow in New Delhi to urge him to declare Punjab drought-hit and give suitable relief to farmers.
Referring to the break-up between the BJP and the INLD in Haryana, he said the SAD unit of Haryana would decide on its role in the elections of the state at the appropriate time.
Himmat Singh said newly pass-out women cops would be deployed on border posts for searching and frisking women going beyond fenced gates. Their services, if required, would also be used for internal security duty and counter insurgency performed by the BSF. The deployment of women cops on international border would add a new dimension to border management and role of the BSF
Hoshiarpur, August 25Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this evening took the salute from second batch of 154 trainee women cops (GD) and 147 male constables at the passing-out parade at Subsidiary Training Centre of the Border Security Force at Kharkan village, 12 km from here.
Badal rued the decreasing number of Punjabi youths in officer ranks of the Indian Army. There was a time when 50 per cent officers in the Army were from Punjab, he said. To reverse the trend, the state government would set up an education-cum-Army training centre at Mohali. After getting education from this centre, the youth could join the Army, Badal said.
Accepting the demand of the Inspector-General, Badal said VAT would not be charged on items in BSF canteen. He also agreed to provide complete equipment of gymnasium at the STC Centre of the BSF at Kharkan.
He was impressed to witness the parade of women cops, who after completing 36 weeks of training, participated in the parade today.
Lauding the BSF for protecting Indian borders and maintaining peace in the country, Badal said the BSF was the pride of the country and known for discipline and dedication.
In a humorous vein the Chief Minister asked Inspector-General, Punjab Frontier, BSF, Himmat Singh to provide physical training to the MLAs so that they could serve people more effectively. Later, Badal told reporters that MPs and MLAs of Punjab would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow in New Delhi to urge him to declare Punjab drought-hit and give suitable relief to farmers.
Referring to the break-up between the BJP and the INLD in Haryana, he said the SAD unit of Haryana would decide on its role in the elections of the state at the appropriate time.
Himmat Singh said newly pass-out women cops would be deployed on border posts for searching and frisking women going beyond fenced gates. Their services, if required, would also be used for internal security duty and counter insurgency performed by the BSF. The deployment of women cops on international border would add a new dimension to border management and role of the BSF
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
COMMANDER COASTAL COMMAND
DGCG TO BE COMMANDER COASTAL COMMAND
Minister of State for Home Affairs M Ramachandran said the Director General of Coast Guard will also assume the role of Commander Coastal Command.
"The government of India has designated Indian Navy as the authority responsible for overall maritime security which includes coastal security and offshore security," the Minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
"The Director General Coast Guard has been designated as Commander Coastal Command responsible for overall coordination between Central and state agencies in all matters relating to coastal security. These decisions are being implemented by the Ministry of Defence," he said.
While replying to a question on instances of infiltration through the coastal areas, Ramachandran said, "As per the information available, there has been no case reported or encountered during the last three years, except a case regarding infiltration by sea route on November 26 last year leading to Mumbai attacks. The matter is under investigation and sub-judice."
Joint coastal patrolling is also being carried out along the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra under operation SWAN by Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies, the Minister said.
Minister of State for Home Affairs M Ramachandran said the Director General of Coast Guard will also assume the role of Commander Coastal Command.
"The government of India has designated Indian Navy as the authority responsible for overall maritime security which includes coastal security and offshore security," the Minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
"The Director General Coast Guard has been designated as Commander Coastal Command responsible for overall coordination between Central and state agencies in all matters relating to coastal security. These decisions are being implemented by the Ministry of Defence," he said.
While replying to a question on instances of infiltration through the coastal areas, Ramachandran said, "As per the information available, there has been no case reported or encountered during the last three years, except a case regarding infiltration by sea route on November 26 last year leading to Mumbai attacks. The matter is under investigation and sub-judice."
Joint coastal patrolling is also being carried out along the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra under operation SWAN by Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies, the Minister said.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Boost to Paramilitary Forces
Centre to give a 500 crore-rupee boost to paramilitary
In a bid to modernize country’s paramilitary forces, Centre will provide arms, ammunition and vehicles worth 500 crore rupees to seven paramilitary forces by September end.
According to the Action Plan -II of the Ministry of Home Affairs, orders worth 500 crore rupees will be processed by the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Action plans of all seven CPMFs - CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles have been approved and the actual procurement will be made soon, it said.
Review meetings will be held between ministry and the CPMFs to anticipate and remove potential bottlenecks.
A total of Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated in the current fiscal for the seven CPMFs under the five provisioning heads arms and ammunition, clothing, tentage and stores, machinery and equipment and vehicles and IT.
Home Ministry has already finalised the process of procurement of interceptor boats for coastal security scheme.
The annual maintenance contract for these boats and procurement of ten 12-ton interceptor boats for Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be made by August 30.
The government will also take approval of competent authority for the courier service for personnel of CPMFs by 15th July.
In a bid to modernize country’s paramilitary forces, Centre will provide arms, ammunition and vehicles worth 500 crore rupees to seven paramilitary forces by September end.
According to the Action Plan -II of the Ministry of Home Affairs, orders worth 500 crore rupees will be processed by the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Action plans of all seven CPMFs - CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles have been approved and the actual procurement will be made soon, it said.
Review meetings will be held between ministry and the CPMFs to anticipate and remove potential bottlenecks.
A total of Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated in the current fiscal for the seven CPMFs under the five provisioning heads arms and ammunition, clothing, tentage and stores, machinery and equipment and vehicles and IT.
Home Ministry has already finalised the process of procurement of interceptor boats for coastal security scheme.
The annual maintenance contract for these boats and procurement of ten 12-ton interceptor boats for Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be made by August 30.
The government will also take approval of competent authority for the courier service for personnel of CPMFs by 15th July.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
WHO IS THE WINNER?
STATUS OF CPOs /ARMED FORCES
Since September 2008 a great amount of efforts were given by Armed Forces towards projecting various cases to the Government for equating various military ranks with other Central Government posts/CPO ranks. Armed forces wanted various equations and presented their arguement in this direction. Let us now see what they have gained and what they have lost.
(a) Lt Colonel
The arguement placed by the forces was that this rank is having pay scale of Rs. 15100/- (including rank pay) and that should be placed in Pay Band and Grade Pay above the rank of Commandant in CPOs whose Basic pay was starting at Rs. 14300 /- .
This arguement did not hold any water and all arguements placed by Armed Forces were not agreed upon. The status after the final order is that the rank of Lt colonel was not given Grade Pay of Rs. 8700/- and thus it is now formal that the rank of Commandant is equivalent to full Colonel of Armed Forces. However in the bargain the armed forces is lost hundreds of posts on deputation where Lt. Colonel will still go on pay band -3 and Grade Pay Rs.7600/-.
(b) Commandant
This rank is now formally established equivalent to full Colonel / Captain / Group Captain of Armed forces and this will now become bench mark for all the equations in the rank hierarchy.
(c) Second in Command / Commandant (Junior Grade)
This rank of Central Para Military Forces / CPOs is still equivalent to Lt Colonel / Commander / Wing Commander of Armed Forces view it is clearly stated that the rank of Lt Colonel will be treated as of Grade Pay Rs. 7600/- when on non-combtant duty. Though a Grade Pay of Rs. 8000/- is given to Armed Forces but this Grade Pay will be treated as equivalent to Grade Pay of Rs. 7600/- outside the circles of Armed Forces(Combtant duties).
(d) Senior Military Ranks
The Senior Military ranks lost heavily in favour of status in relation to para military forces. All the arguements given by armed forces for equating Colonel Senior to DIG, Major General Senior to Inspector General and Lt General Senior to Director General was not agreed by the government and the rank equation as stated by VI th Pay Commission is now stands implemented. This has given strong morale booster to 1.5 million para miliatry forces and their legitimate demand of equation of ranks stands vindicted.
(e) Various Allowances
Though Government had given military Service pay of Rs. 6000/- to the officers and Rs. 2000/- to others, it is utmost essential that this disparity should be immediately corrected and all CPOs should be given this pay at the earliest.
(f) Higher Pay Band to Second in Command
It is essential that Government should immediately upgrade officers of para miliatry forces of this rank to Pay Band -4 and Grade Pay Rs.8000/- in order to maintain the equation. Armed forces and CPOs are operating in the same area and both of them carrrying out various duties which are similar in both organisations. Under these circumstances upgradation of Pay Band and Grade Pay of only one organisation will create sense of dissatisfaction among para-military forces.
2. Thus we can see that all the arguements placed by various blogs in favour of Armed forces were not agreed upon by the Government of India. It is now essential that Government should amend WOP and should rewrite the equations based upon the existing realities of life, we cannot live forever in the past and should change and accept the existing equations.
3. It is for all of us to decide whether in this fight the Armed forces have lost or gained, to my opinion they lost heavily and lost it permanently.
Since September 2008 a great amount of efforts were given by Armed Forces towards projecting various cases to the Government for equating various military ranks with other Central Government posts/CPO ranks. Armed forces wanted various equations and presented their arguement in this direction. Let us now see what they have gained and what they have lost.
(a) Lt Colonel
The arguement placed by the forces was that this rank is having pay scale of Rs. 15100/- (including rank pay) and that should be placed in Pay Band and Grade Pay above the rank of Commandant in CPOs whose Basic pay was starting at Rs. 14300 /- .
This arguement did not hold any water and all arguements placed by Armed Forces were not agreed upon. The status after the final order is that the rank of Lt colonel was not given Grade Pay of Rs. 8700/- and thus it is now formal that the rank of Commandant is equivalent to full Colonel of Armed Forces. However in the bargain the armed forces is lost hundreds of posts on deputation where Lt. Colonel will still go on pay band -3 and Grade Pay Rs.7600/-.
(b) Commandant
This rank is now formally established equivalent to full Colonel / Captain / Group Captain of Armed forces and this will now become bench mark for all the equations in the rank hierarchy.
(c) Second in Command / Commandant (Junior Grade)
This rank of Central Para Military Forces / CPOs is still equivalent to Lt Colonel / Commander / Wing Commander of Armed Forces view it is clearly stated that the rank of Lt Colonel will be treated as of Grade Pay Rs. 7600/- when on non-combtant duty. Though a Grade Pay of Rs. 8000/- is given to Armed Forces but this Grade Pay will be treated as equivalent to Grade Pay of Rs. 7600/- outside the circles of Armed Forces(Combtant duties).
(d) Senior Military Ranks
The Senior Military ranks lost heavily in favour of status in relation to para military forces. All the arguements given by armed forces for equating Colonel Senior to DIG, Major General Senior to Inspector General and Lt General Senior to Director General was not agreed by the government and the rank equation as stated by VI th Pay Commission is now stands implemented. This has given strong morale booster to 1.5 million para miliatry forces and their legitimate demand of equation of ranks stands vindicted.
(e) Various Allowances
Though Government had given military Service pay of Rs. 6000/- to the officers and Rs. 2000/- to others, it is utmost essential that this disparity should be immediately corrected and all CPOs should be given this pay at the earliest.
(f) Higher Pay Band to Second in Command
It is essential that Government should immediately upgrade officers of para miliatry forces of this rank to Pay Band -4 and Grade Pay Rs.8000/- in order to maintain the equation. Armed forces and CPOs are operating in the same area and both of them carrrying out various duties which are similar in both organisations. Under these circumstances upgradation of Pay Band and Grade Pay of only one organisation will create sense of dissatisfaction among para-military forces.
2. Thus we can see that all the arguements placed by various blogs in favour of Armed forces were not agreed upon by the Government of India. It is now essential that Government should amend WOP and should rewrite the equations based upon the existing realities of life, we cannot live forever in the past and should change and accept the existing equations.
3. It is for all of us to decide whether in this fight the Armed forces have lost or gained, to my opinion they lost heavily and lost it permanently.
Monday, February 16, 2009
ARTICLE ON FUTURE OF INDIAN COAST GUARD
| The following article is written by former DGCG and was published in Deccan Herald on 09 Feb, the writer himself is ex-Naval officer,the article it self is a good fodder for thinking brains. | ||||
Will the Coast Guard sink? | ||||
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By Prabhakaran Paleri | ||||
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| [ The Navy was seemingly unwilling to accept the Coast Guard from the very beginning.] | ||||
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Has the Navy finally torpedoed the Coast Guard? The Coast Guard is confused about the hasty changes it feels in the offing before the current government demits office. It knows that the Navy had a long cherished dream to make the Coast Guard an auxiliary to it. After 32 years and many futile attempts by the Navy, it feels, it is likely to happen with the introduction of the 'Coastal Command', an antiquated concept, under the Navy.
The government fails to appreciate that the Coast Guard has an organisational structure that is much wider and legally valid than the proposed Coastal Command. And that it will do better to expand and equip the Coast Guard for its charter to enforce law and provide service in the maritime zones as per the Coast Guard Act. Instead, by placing the Coast Guard under the Navy at its beck and call, it is not only the Act, but also the Constitution that gets violated. Unfortunate
The Navy was seemingly unwilling to accept the idea of the Coast Guard from the very beginning. That may perhaps lie in the reason that it could not chart an altered course for a 'new found Navy' shedding its role of a Coast Guard. Or perhaps India was not matured enough to accept the Coast Guard as a useful maritime armed force. It has been so with many other countries, which created coast guards with the navies around in coast guard roles. While the world changed, the naval mindset in many such countries remained fossilised within the coast guard mould. Added to that was lack of maritime awareness. India was expected to be different. It remains a puzzle why the Indian Navy failed to appreciate it.
BLOG'S VIEW It is up to various readers to comment on the issue, few may think that Coast Guard is doing well under Naval officer as DGCG while opinion of others may be different, well considering the development of Indian Coast Guard since last 32 years, there is hardly any reasons for complaint. However the actual test of water will start now when both the services are standing on equal strata and may vie for the same pie-Marine power | ||||
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
CHEERS FOR LTCOLS
New pay scale for Lt. Colonels
| They have been placed in pay band-4 with a grade pay of Rs. 8,000 |
Government has issued orders placing officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and their equivalents in the other two Services in the pay band-4 with a grade pay of Rs. 8,000 and identified “non-combat” deputations that will not draw this benefit.
The government indicated in January its decision to address the issue of anomalies in the pay structure and orders to this effect were received by the Services on Monday, sources in the Defence Ministry said.
Lt. Colonels will now be upgraded to the pay bracket of Rs. 37,400-67,000 (PB-4) with a grade pay of Rs. 8,000 from the earlier scale of Rs. 15,600-39,100 (PB-3) with a grade pay of Rs. 7,600.
Tenure postingsThe new pay band will be applicable to tenure postings done by officers of these ranks with departments such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Director-General (Quality Assurance), National Cadet Corps, the Assam Rifles, the National Security Guards and the Border Roads Organisation.
The armed forces were not clear over the decision after it became known that the new pay band will be only for those in combat role.
Last month, tri-services Principal Personnel Officers Committee Chairman Vice-Admiral D.K. Dewan wrote a letter to the Ministry, making a case for inclusion of all officers of the rank in the pay band, including those on deputation to other wings such as paramilitary forces.
The sources said that with this order, some 18,000 officers would stand to benefit and those who remain to draw pay band-3 would be officers on deputation to organisations such as the Railways and the National Highways Authority of India, where the nature of duty was not in line with normal combat profile.
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