Planning minister Usha Devi at the inauguration programme on Sunday. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, June 8: The second marine police station of Ganjam district opened today at Sunapur, 26km from here. The move aims to strengthen coastal security.

The first marine police station had opened at Arjipalli in 2009. Marine police stations are set up under the Coastal Security Scheme of the Union government. The Centre will provide two boats to the new police station shortly for patrolling purposes.

“Sunapur marine police station is now running from a rented house and a sum of Rs 76.52 lakh has been sanctioned for construction of the permanent building at Bahuda river mouth,” said Berhampur deputy superintendent of police R.N. Barik.

Berhampur police superintendent Annirudh Kumar Singh said 81 personnel, including one inspector and six sub-inspectors, would man the police station. “We have appointed one inspector, two sub-inspectors and five constables for this station initially. We will divert the other staff from the district against the sanctioned posts soon,” he said.

“A separate jetty will be constructed for the police station. For now, the staff will use the fishing jetty of the state fisheries department at Sunapur. The marine police at Sunapur would keep a vigil on the 35-km coastline from Haripur to the Odisha-Andhra border. They have to conduct patrolling up to 12 nautical miles in the sea,” said Barik.

Apart from coastal surveillance, the new police station will also look into the law and order aspects like a normal police station.

Incidentally, the first marine police station at Arjipalli is yet to be fully operational owing to staff crunch. The police station is now running with 13 personnel against the sanctioned strength of 81. Two of its patrolling boats were damaged during Phailin and are lying idle at the Gopalpur port jetty.