The Indian Coast Guard Ship, Samar, which had the distinction of being the first indigenously constructed vessel of the Coast Guard with a gross displacement of more than 1,800 gross tonnage, was decommissioned with full honours on Saturday evening at the Coast Guard jetty at Mattancherry.
Among those who were present was the chief guest, Additional Director General of Coast Guard S. Paramesh, and former Director General Prabhakaran Paleri. A host of dignitaries from different walks of life, besides previous commanding officers and crew of the force’s vessels too witnessed the event.
The ship was commissioned in February 1996 in Goa by then Prime Minister P.V. Narashimha Rao and was based in Mumbai under the operational command of the Commander Coast Guard Region (West). It was rebased in Kochi in 2009. Samar, which means ‘battle’, is a projection of the Indian Coast Guard’s will and commitment “to strive and protect” the maritime interests of the nation, said an official release.
