The Kollam port will be declared as designated immigration check-post (ICP) after the infrastructure and manpower requirements are fulfilled by the State agencies, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai has said in the Lok Sabha.
While answering a query raised by N.K. Premachandran, MP, recently on the steps initiated for establishing the ICP at the Kollam port, Mr. Rai said the declaration of an ICP as an authorised one is a continuous process and the Government of India considers immigration facilities at those ports which fulfil the requirement of the ICP as per the norms in consultation with the stakeholders concerned.
After carrying out an assessment of the facilities, the State agencies were notified about the details of infrastructure yet to be provided. While the present security at the Kollam port needs to be strengthened to handle passenger and cruise vessels, the State government is yet to consider a proposal to hand over the security to the State Industrial Security Force (SISF), he said.
