MoS defence: We have secure border, can give reply to enemy
Minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt, on Sunday, asserted that the country has a full-proof border and can give a “fitting reply” to its enemy. He also claimed that the government has started saving `7 crore of daily expenditure per day of the Army since the construction of the Atal Tunnel.
Speaking at the launch of Sandhayak, the first of the four survey vessels (large) being built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy in Kolkata, Mr Bhatt said, “Not only Northeast, we are fully protected everywhere, be it North, South, East, and West which means land, sea, and air. We are moving ahead under our PM Narendra Modi, who is showing the path. We are fully capable of giving a fitting reply to the enemy in every sphere. There was a time like 1962. But today is a different time. Our Army, Air Force, and Navy are maintaining a tight vigil everywhere. Our borders are very much protected.”
He added, “We have been saving a daily expenditure of `7 crore of the Army alone after we built the Atal Tunnel. Only a few know this.”
The survey vessels (large) are capable of full scale coastal and deepwater hydrographic survey of ports and harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels and routes. They can also survey maritime limits and collect oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard informed that it has shepherded 527 fishing boats to sheltered locations during its exercise to tackle cyclone Jawad. All fishing boats in West Bengal and Odisha have been accounted for and reported to be safe in harbour due to unstinted and pre-emptive efforts in coordination with the respective state governments, a senior official of the ICG (Northeast regional headquarters) informed.