Mangalore: Indian Coast Guard is inching ever so slowly towards its stated goal of setting up an air enclave in the coastal city. Vital to undertaking aerial surveillance of India's vast and sometimes porous coastline especially along the West coast, the air enclave holds strategic importance to national security. Delay on part of the state government in handing over land is holding up setting up the air enclave.
The Indian Coast Guard through the defence estate officer has already paid Rs 1.88 crore for 15.21 acres of land needed by it for the enclave. Noting that the defence estate officer is the custodian of all defence land, Commander Rajmani Sharma, Coast Guard Karnataka, said: once the land is handed over by the defence estate officer, it officially comes to the Coast Guard to be used for the purpose it is acquired for.
At present, Coast Guard is using fixed wing Dorniers from its other air enclaves to carry out surveillance sorties over Karnataka's 320-km long coastline.
16/02/14 Times of India
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The Indian Coast Guard through the defence estate officer has already paid Rs 1.88 crore for 15.21 acres of land needed by it for the enclave. Noting that the defence estate officer is the custodian of all defence land, Commander Rajmani Sharma, Coast Guard Karnataka, said: once the land is handed over by the defence estate officer, it officially comes to the Coast Guard to be used for the purpose it is acquired for.
At present, Coast Guard is using fixed wing Dorniers from its other air enclaves to carry out surveillance sorties over Karnataka's 320-km long coastline.
16/02/14 Times of India
