First coastal command centre to be inaugurated in Gandhinagar on Oct.3 India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Defence Minister AK Antony will inaugurate the regional Coast Guard headquarters in Gandhinagar on October 3 to strengthen the coastal security as part of measures taken by the government after the Mumbai terror attacks. The Coast Guard headquarters will exercise overall administrative and operational control over the CG units based in various ports in Gujarat. Inspector-General S P Sharma has been appointed as the first regional commander, a President's Tatrakshak Medal awardee. A Defence Ministry official said: "With a view to improve the coastal security mechanism along the 1,600-km-long coastline of Gujarat, the Defence Minister will inaugurate the new Regional Headquarters of the Coast Guard at Gandhinagar." "The new HQ will exercise overall control over all Coast Guard assets like ships, aircraft and hovercraft based in various ports of Gujarat, as also develop synergy with central and state agencies involved in the maritime domain,"' the official added. The Gujarat Government has provided the office space in Sector 11 of Gandhinagar to house the headquarters till it builds its own infrastructure. The Navy has the designated authority under the new maritime security plan to look after overall maritime security. The Coast Guard, the state marine police forces and other central and state agencies will assist it.