Thiruvananthapuram, Monday, December 29, 2008: With the co-operation of local fishermen folk small units will be formed which will keep vigil along the coast informed Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
The community policing onshore and offshore would involve using the services of fishermen to gather information about suspicious vessels in the deep sea, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told media persons here.
With a 610-km coastline, Kerala has over 250, 000 active fishermen. The Minister has convened a meeting of representatives of all fishermen organisations here on December 29 to discuss the plan.
“The fishermen are aware of movements in the deep waters. We will tap their resources in our fight against extremist elements. The Government will provide unique IDs for fishing vessels. The idea is to help the fishermen identify alien vessels and boats”, he said.
Minister said that the Government would also speed up the opening of eight new coastal police stations sanctioned by the Federal Home Ministry. These stations were sanctioned under the Coastal Security Scheme in 2005 to enhance coastal security by strengthening infrastructure for patrol and surveillance.
The Kerala coastline is considered vulnerable to extremist elements as it is close to international waters. Senior police officers say groups involved in smuggling and other clandestine operations have been active off the Malabar Coast. The Coast Guard and the Navy have intensified patrolling in the wake of the recent terror strikes. Kerala government’s decision to use fishermen as informers will strengthen the vigil across the seafront.