Strengthen southern coastal security: Stalin

The central government "has not fully realised" the "sensitivity" of India's martime boundary with Sri Lanka and should accord it equal significance as the country's other land and sea borders, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin here Sunday.

The central government "has not fully realised" the "sensitivity" of India's martime boundary with Sri Lanka and should accord it equal significance as the country's other land and sea borders, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin here Sunday.

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"The sensitivity of this border with Sri Lanka has not been fully realised. Better co-ordination and exchange of information between various central and state agencies will avert many unsavoury incidents involving our fishermen and the Sri Lankan navy," Stalin said at the internal security meeting here.

It is for this reason the entire manpower cost of securing the maritime boundary should be borne by the Indian government, he said.

Stalin also opposed the centre's proposal for the blanket transfer to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of all cases relating to fake currency notes, saying this should be in consultation and on a case-to-case basis.

In this context, he noted that the National Investigation Agency Act already provides for transfer of important fake currency note cases to National Investigation Agency at the central government's discretion.

Stating that Tamil Nadu was not in favour of raising a separate State Industrial Security Force for reasons of sectional recruitment, Stalin said the purpose would be served by the police inculcating professionalism in private security agencies.

He also said organised crime in the state was being tackled by the creation of an Organised Crime Intelligence Unit (OICU) with 476 officials.