Chennai: Friday saw Chennai Port Trust bid farewell to Indian Coast Guard ship Rajkamal and six interceptor boats (C-407, C-412, C-414, C-416, C-417 and C-428).
“The ship and boats were being rebased to the Andaman and Nicobar region as per the Coast Guard headquarters’ re-basing plan,” said a CG representative. The rebasing plan is aimed at enhancing the coastal security of the new Coast Guard stations for effective optimization of Coast Guard assets towards safeguarding the maritime border of the nation.
As part of the plan, newly commissioned ICGS Arnvesh had already joined the Eastern Coast Guard fleet. Deputy Inspector General M.A. Thalha, Chief of Staff, Coast Guard Region (East), graced the occasion with his presence as chief guest.
The commanding officers and men of the rebased ships were given a farewell, as is the customary tradition. The ships set course for Andaman Nicobar at 11.30 am on Friday. The Coast Guard advance offshore patrol vessel ‘Sagar’ is escorting the Coast Guard interceptor boats to Port Blair for a safe passage.
