Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s proposal to set up a Central Marine Police Force to protect sea, coasts, ports and vital institutions along 7,516-km national coastline.

Fadnavis had mooted the proposal at the coastal security meeting. The detailed structure, operations and modalities of the force will be worked out in the coming weeks. Fadnavis, in the meeting, also suggested that all landing points and non-major ports should be brought under tech-based e-surveillance. The decision to have a central command for Marine Police elicited support from all ministers and officials from across states and Union territories participating in the marathon meeting.

Singh was in Mumbai to chair the meeting of the ministers, chief secretaries, and director general of police (DGPs) of coastal states and union territories. The central theme of the meeting was to evolve a better mechanism for effective coordination amongst navy, Coast Guard, police and the home department.

A decision to set up National Marine Police Training Institute in Dwarka (Gujarat) and State Marine Police Training Centers in the Police Training Academies of state and union territories was also approved in the meeting.