The Hindu Business Line : Navy, Gujarat join hands to protect marine border

With conventional war being replaced by low-intensity war and financial hubs under terrorist threats, the Navy and the Gujarat Government have joined hands to protect the marine borders of the State.

With import of most of the country's energy needs through this sector, the State has emerged as a crucial financial interest hub of the country.

Nearly 70 per cent of the country's oil imports are through Gujarat.

Indian Navy's Commodore U.K. Vora, Naval Officer in-charge (NOIC), Western Command, said today the force would acquire a terminal at the Positra port, east of Okha, being developed by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), after its completion.

Natural harbour

This port, having a draft of 18 metres, is a natural harbour and the Navy would be in a "very commanding position" in the Gulf of Kutch to protect the nation's economic interests and energy security, he told Business Line on the sidelines of the Navy Week celebrations here. The force is waiting for an environmental clearance.

He said the Navy was ready to share the cost of development of Positra port where no dredging was required and which would complement the country's security and would be a win-win proposition for both the force and the State Government.

The Union Minister of State for Defence, Mr M.M. Pallam Raju, after inspecting the proceedings, on Wednesday told presspersons here that the United Nations has asked all member nations to mark their maritime borders by next year.

It was with this view that the India-Pakistan talks on the Sir Creek issue were progressing, he said. "We will make sure that the Pakistani Marine Agency does not enter the Indian marine waters."

Development plan

He said India's economic interests will be protected at all costs, while describing the recent and planned acquisitions of the country's arsenals in the next 15 years, adding, but the Government would make effort to achieve these results in five years.

The Minister said a plan for the development of the Porbandar port from security point of view and a long-term perspective would be prepared by March 2008. Since major oil refineries exist in Gujarat, enough security would be provided to the State.

Already, an expression of interest between the Navy and GMB has been upgraded to a memorandum of understanding and the GMB is handing over its old office at Porbandar port on a 99-year-lease for development as a defence control centre, said Commodore Vora.

The Gujarat Minister of State for Finance and Industry, Mr Saurabh Dalal, told Business Line that the GMB was also providing road and rail connectivity facilitation for north-ward movement of imported cargo.

Its Porbandar jetty, being extended by 200 metres at Rs 36 crore, would further facilitate the Navy's varied requirements in a joint ownership on 50-50 basis. An environental and modality study is being conducted by the Central Water and Power Research School, Pune, he added.

The Coast Guard, which has its own jetty at Porbandar, is also expanding its activity through joint patrolling with police and Customs departments in view of increasing incidents of intrusion from Pakistani side.