New transfer policy launched for marine police staff in Odisha
File photo used for representational purpose only
BHUBANESWAR: Police personnel, who are specially trained in coastal policing and combat skills in the sea, will not face frequent transfers from the marine police stations in the state. The state police headquarters has introduced new guidelines on the posting and transfer of the personnel in the marine police stations.
According to the new transfer policy initiated by DGP Abhay, constables and havildars will serve seven years in marine police stations whereas the tenure of posting for the sub-inspectors (SIs) and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) is three years.
“The constables and Havildars of the marine police stations cannot be transferred to general (civil) or non-marine police stations before seven years. However, they can be transferred within the marine police stations in districts. Approval of the additional director general (coastal security) is required in case of premature transfer to general police stations on administrative ground,” DGP’s order said.
The purpose is to make the effective use of the trained personnel in the coastal security and sea patrolling. Frequent and quick transfers of such specially-trained cops often affected the coastal policing in the past.
“We do not have any separate marine police cadre. Personnel from normal police stations are posted in the marine police stations. But, unlike the personnel of the normal police stations, the officers of marine police stations undergo special trainings on coastal patrolling, surveillance, combat skills and intelligence gathering. If they get transferred to normal police stations frequently, their expertise and skills will remain unutilized,” additional director general of police (coastal security) Pranabindu Acharya said.
Under the coastal security scheme, the Centre provided funds to states to set up marine police stations in the wake of the major sea-borne terror attack in Mumbai in November 2008. At present the state with a 487-km coastline has a total of 18 marine police stations in seven coastal police districts (Puri, Balasore, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam and Berhampur). The personnel are regularly trained by the navy and coast guard personnel. Some of the personnel were recently trained in the National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) at Okha in Gujarat. They were trained in maritime laws, seamanship, boat work, navigation, weapons handling, usage of sea guidance and surveillance gadgets and survival skills for long-haul operations on the sea or during distress times.
“We will send another batch of officers to the NACP soon to undergo training. Currently, we have 13 fast interceptor boats that were supplied by the Centre. Two boats were damaged a few years ago. While those two damaged boats will be repaired soon, we expect 26 more new boats from the Centre to boost our coastal security management,” Acharya said.