India's coastal security to see serious action in next two years: Amit Shah says MHA will move forward 'very seriously'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Centre will take coastal security “very seriously” over the next two years, signalling a renewed focus on strengthening security along India’s coastline. Shah made the remarks while chairing the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Panaji on Monday.The meeting was attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful K Patel, along with senior officials.Amit Shah outlines coastal security plansAddressing the meeting, Shah said the Ministry of Home Affairs would intensify its efforts to improve coastal security over the coming two years.“Over the next two years, the Ministry of Home Affairs will move forward very seriously on coastal security,” Shah said.The remarks came a day after Shah reviewed Goa’s law and order and security situation with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and senior officials. Coastal security was among the issues discussed during that review, alongside narcotics, fugitives, disaster management, police modernisation and the implementation of the new criminal laws.Western states urged to lead fight against drugsShah also called on the Western region to take a leading role in implementing the country’s new criminal laws and tackling the drug menace.“Western Region should also play a leading role in the implementation of the New Nyaya Sanhitas and in making India's fight against drugs a success,” he said.The three new criminal laws, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, came into force across the country on July 1, 2024. They replaced the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act respectively.Shah calls Western region India’s 'WEST Engine'Highlighting the economic importance of the region, Shah described the Western states as the “WEST Engine” of India’s economic growth.According to Shah, “W” represents wealth and finance, “E” stands for exports and ports, “S” refers to start-ups and semiconductors, while “T” represents tourism and the blue economy.He pointed to Goa’s tourism sector, Maharashtra’s start-up ecosystem, Gujarat’s semiconductor ambitions and the importance of major ports and Mumbai’s financial sector.“More than 1 crore tourists visit Goa, of whom 5 lakh are foreign tourists. Tourism contributes 16 per cent of Goa’s GSDP,” Shah said.He also highlighted Maharashtra’s 33,872 start-ups and described Dholera as an emerging semiconductor hub. Shah further noted the role of Gujarat’s Mundra and Deendayal ports and Mumbai as a major centre for global capital.Zonal Councils have held more meetings since 2014Shah also highlighted what he described as increased activity within the Zonal Councils since 2014.He said only 25 meetings of the Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees were held between 2004 and 2014, compared with 71 meetings since 2014.According to Shah, 1,893 issues have been discussed through these meetings, with 1,445 resolved.“There are no longer any disputes among the states of the Western Region; this is a major achievement,” he said.He added that the councils had increasingly shifted towards monitoring the implementation of welfare schemes rather than focusing only on inter-state disputes.Cybersecurity and cooperative banking also discussedCybersecurity and cooperative banking featured prominently during the meeting. Shah called for Urban Cooperative Banks to be connected with the Central Fraud Registry and encouraged greater adoption of MuleHunter AI.“We also need to move forward to ensure that all cooperative banks are connected to I4C,” Shah said.He also reviewed progress in the computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), noting that Maharashtra had achieved 98 per cent coverage and Gujarat 92 per cent.Several key issues discussed at Western Zonal Council meetingThe meeting covered a wide range of national and regional issues, including Fast Track Special Courts dealing with rape cases involving women and children, ERSS-112, food safety standards, Ayushman Bharat, banking access in villages and railway development projects.Environmental clearances, urban master planning, electricity supply, nutrition, school dropout rates, cybercrime and digital infrastructure were also discussed.Shah further stressed the need to strengthen PACS and urged states to adopt the Gobardhan model established by Banas Dairy.Inputs from agencies