Odisha: Minister asks police to tighten coastal security
BHUBANESWAR/KENDRAPADA: A day after 38 fishermen from the state and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh sailed from Chennai and landed at Pati Sonepur beach, off the coast of Ganjam, on Saturday, the state government on Sunday ordered an inquiry into how the men avoided detection during their journey.
“We had recently seen how a boat ferrying some people from Chennai had reached the Dankuri shore in Andhra Pradesh, about 20km from the Odisha coast. Again on Saturday, some migrant labourers of Odisha reached Ganjam in a boat from Tamil Nadu. We will conduct a probe to know how they managed to dodge the marine police and Coast Guard personnel along the coast,” state transport minister Padmanabh Behera told media persons here. He added, “The government has taken this incident seriously and has directed the marine police to look out for people who arrive in the district via the sea route. Action would be taken against such people who arrive in violation of the lockdown norms.” The fishermen who arrived on Saturday mostly belong to Pati Sonapur. They purchased a boat in Chennai for Rs 2 lakh and set out on April 20. Their journey to Pati Sonepur took them five days. The boat has been seized by police.
On landing, the men were placed in institutional quarantine for 14 days.
“They were checked for symptoms,” said Ganjam collector, Vijay Amruta Kulange, who visited the quarantine centre where the fishermen were put up on Saturday night.
Ramachandra Murmu, inspector-in-charge of the Jamboo marine police station, said, “We need one inspector, three subinspectors, eight havildars, 24 constables and two drivers. But the marine police station is running with an inspector-in-charge, two havildars, eight constables and one driver.”
(With inputs from Ashis Senapati)
-
Download
-
Subscribe
Start Your Daily Mornings with Times of India Newspaper! Order Now