Navy Agniveers join coastal police to plug 282-post gap

MUMBAI: Maharashtra has inducted its first batch of Navy Agniveers into the state’s coastal police force, with 282 former personnel set to bolster maritime security amid a shortage of trained staff, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday

MUMBAI: Maharashtra has inducted its first batch of Navy Agniveers into the state’s coastal police force, with 282 former personnel set to bolster maritime security amid a shortage of trained staff, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.

The batch comprises 150 personnel trained in deck operations and 132 in engine operations, who will help navigate and manage coastal police vessels.

Announcing the induction, Fadnavis said the government had decided to recruit Agniveers into the state police after their four-year military tenure, recognising the specialised training they receive during their service.

“Agniveers undergo extensive training and are returning after their short stint in the services. We wanted to induct them into the state police. The first batch came from the Navy, and the entire batch has been accommodated in coastal security. This will strengthen our services,” he said.

The induction comes at a time when the coastal police force is grappling with 425 vacancies across Maharashtra. A senior officer attached to coastal security in Mumbai said the appointment of 282 personnel would provide a much-needed boost, particularly in staffing and operating patrol vessels.

“Most constables and personnel attached to coastal policing do not have an aptitude for this work. Many come from the state’s hinterland and are not accustomed to working at sea. They often go on sick leave or seek transfers, resulting in a staff shortage,” the officer said.

The need for specialised personnel in coastal policing came into sharp focus after the 26/11 terror attacks, following which the Mumbai police acquired speedboats to strengthen surveillance along the coastline. During the initial training of police personnel to operate the boats, a former chief of the Western Naval Command, Vice-Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, had stressed the need for trained staff, pointing out that a police constable accustomed to wielding a lathi could not simply be deployed to operate a boat.

The state government decided in September to open recruitment opportunities in the police force, fire brigade and coastal security for Agniveers completing their four-year tenure. It has also introduced a 10% parallel reservation for former Agniveers domiciled in Maharashtra.

The first batch of Agniveers is now completing its tenure under the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, launched in 2022 for recruitment into the Army, Navy and Air Force. Of the recruits from the state, 2,496 are from Maharashtra.

Under the scheme, candidates aged 17.5 to 21 are recruited for four years, including six months of training. While 25% of Agniveers are eligible for retention in the armed forces based on performance, discipline and skills, the remaining 75% are released from service.

Their military training equips them with skills in discipline, leadership, technical operations, security and disaster management — experience the state hopes to leverage as it strengthens its coastal security apparatus.