New Delhi: As the country observes the third
anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks, the Coast Guard is
without a head for the last four weeks.
The issue of appointment for the post appears is lying
with the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
After Vice Admiral Anil Chopra moved to head Eastern
Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam on October 31, Navy`s Chief of
Personnel Vice Admiral M P Murlidharan has been officiating as
the Director General of CG.
The post of DG, Coast Guard, has been lying vacant for
close to four weeks now as the ACC has not yet approved the
appointment recommended by the Defence Ministry, Government
sources said here.
The Defence Ministry has recommended Vice Admiral
Murlidharan`s name for the post, they said.
The reason for the delay in finalising the appointment
was not known yet.
After the attacks on Mumbai in 2008, the Government has
taken several strong steps to plug the loopholes in coastal
security and Defence Minister A K Antony has been reviewing
the preparedness of the Navy and the Coast Guard at regular
intervals.
To revamp the coastal security mechanism post 26/11, the
government had sanctioned several fast-track acquisitions of
equipment worth thousands of crores rupees, like fast attack
craft, patrolling vessels, Dornier surveillance aircraft,
helicopters and coastal radars.
The number and size of the Coast Guard personnel and
assets has also been sanctioned to be doubled from its present
size in a phased manner.
PTI
