NEW DELHI, May 15: In the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday commissioned a ship and two interceptor boats of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Goa through a video conference and said that India is an emerging maritime power and its prosperity depends on the sea.
Indian Coast Guard Ship Sachet indigenously built at Goa Shipyard Limited while the interceptor boats C-450 and C-451 were indigenously designed and built by L&T Shipyard, Hazira (Gujarat).
After dedicating the ships to the Nation, Mr Singh in a series of tweets said, “Three @IndiaCoastGuard ships were dedicated to the nation in a unique digital commissioning ceremony today. These ships were completed in record time. It is reassuring to witness the growing strength of our Coast Guard and the capabilities of Indian Shipbuilding industry.”
He also said that India’s prosperity depends on the sea. “The oceans are the lifelines of global prosperity. Safe, secure and clean seas present us with great economic opportunities to build our Nations. India is an emerging maritime power and our prosperity depend on the sea,” he tweeted.
As a responsible maritime power, “oceans have been our key priorities, which is evident from our Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi’s vision “SAGAR”, which translates in to “Security And Growth for All in the Region”,” the minister added.
“The seas can be routes for asymmetric threats by Anti-National Elements and therefore demand a collaborative and cooperative approach amongst all stakeholders. The Indian Coast Guard continues to work with their resolve to guard our seashores 24×7 with great determination,” Mr Singh said in another tweet.
He also said, “I am extremely confident that the @IndiaCoastGuard ships commissioned today will add to their strength in responding to the threats of Maritime terrorism, Drug trafficking, smuggling and challenges of maritime law enforcement and Search and Rescue cover to Mariners in distress.” (UNI)
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