Lok Sabha Question No. 845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-25
Subject: Immigration Counter at Kollam Port
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: N.K. Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 845

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH  JULY, 2023/ SRAVANA 3, 1945 (SAKA)

IMMIGRATION COUNTER AT KOLLAM PORT

845. SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to utilize the Kollam port and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has initiated action for establishing immigration counter at Kollam port and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the State Government of Kerala has provided all the facilities for starting immigration centre at Kollam port, if so, the details thereof and if  not,  the  additional  facilities  required  for  maintaining  the  immigration centre at Kollam port functional;

(d)  whether  the  Government  has  initiated  action  for  providing  anchoring facility to the foreign ships at Kollam port and if so, the details of action taken thereon;

(e) whether the Shipping Ministry initiated action through Home Ministry to start immigration at Kollam Port and if so, the details thereof; and

(f)  whether the Govenment proposes any date of starting the immigration facility at Kollam port and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (e): Declaration of an Immigration Check Post(ICP) as an authorized

ICP is a continuous process. Government of India considers immigration

facilities  at  those  ports  which  fulfill  the  requirement  of  ICP  as  per  the norms  in  consultation  with  concerned  stakeholders.  Assessment  for requirement of the manpower and physical infrastructure at Kollam port has been carried out and the same is placed at Annexure-I. The details of infrastructure  yet  to  be  provided  by  the  State  agencies  including  State Maritime  Board  is  placed  at  Annexure-II.  Kollam  port  has  anchorage facility.

(f): Declaration  of  any  port  as  designated  Immigration  Check  Post  is done after the infrastructure and manpower requirement are fulfilled.

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- a) Manpower to be provided
- i) 2 Inspector as overall In-charge.
3. ii) 8 Sub-Inspectors for counter duties.
4. iii) 4  constables  to  assist  counter  officers  in  making  queue,  filling Disembarkation/Embarkation Cards etc.
- b) Space/Infrastructure
- i) The  number  of  counters  would  be  4  in  arrival  and  4  in  departure. Number  of  counters  would  increase  proportionately  depending  on operating of higher capacity cruise/ship.
7. ii) Server and Computer Staff Room of size 12' x 10'.
8. iii) Refusal/Detention Room with attached toilet of size 15'x12'.
9. iv) In charge Immigration Office of size 15'x12'.
- v) For Immigration Office for backroom operation of size 20'x15'.
11. vi) Multi-Purpose Room for training/rest/meeting etc. of size 15'x15'.
12. vii) Record Room of size 10'x10'.
13. viii) UPS Room of size 5'x8'.
14. ix) Adequate Space for queuing up of passengers in front of Immigration Counters.
- x) Toilet facility for passengers in Immigration area in arrival.
16. xi) Furniture  and  other  fittings  for  the  above  offices  to  be  provided  by the Port Operator maintaining ambience.
17. xii) Uninterrupted power supply to the server room, from server room to counters and In-charge immigration office.
18. xiii) Intercom  facility  in  In-charge  office  back-room  office,  server  room etc.
- c) Requirement of Residential Accommodation.

Most of the Immigration staff posted  at Seaports  have  to  reside  at their own  arrangements in the City/Town area as no Government accommodation is available to Bureau of Immigration (BoI). Further, they are required to commute to/from Seaport travelling for more than an hour (one side). Since, they reside in different localities, organizing a common transport for  pick and  drop  facility  also  become  difficult  and  time consuming. Moreover, they have to perform night duties also, which makes their  commuting  more  difficult.  Hence,  it  would  be  mandatory  for  the Seaport Authorities to provide residential accommodation at a central/common location to BOI (equal to 50% of the staff sanctioned in BOI) either by constructing the same or taking accommodation on lease.

ANNEXURE-II L.S.US.Q.NO. 845 FOR 25.07.2023

-  The  Facilitation  Centre  has  not  yet  been  handed  over  by  Kerala Maritime Board (KMB) to regulatory agencies.
-  Immigration  counters,  space  for  queuing-up  of  passengers,  toilet facility to Pax, uninterrupted power supply, Inter-com phone facility, UPS room, record room, multipurpose room for training/ rest/meeting, Refusal/entry/ Detention room and server room are to be provisioned inside the port gate complex.
-  Kollam  Port  authority  has  installed  04  CCTV  cameras  in  the  port premises.  However, additional 05 CCTVs are to be installed to cover the entire premises.
-  The refurbishing work of concertina wire above the perimeter wall of Kollam Seaport is in progress.
-  There is only one gate for entry or exit of passengers, crew, staff of steamer agents to port premises at the Kollam Seaport.  Additional gates are required from security point of view.
-  The  present  security  arrangement  at  Kollam  Port  needs  to  be strengthened further to handle passengers/ cruise vessel/ foreign run vessels  etc.  which  is  likely  to  be  introduced  at  a  later  stage. Presently,  two  unarmed  security  personnel  (1  port  staff  and  1outsourced)  are  looking  after  the  security  of  the  Port  premises situated in a stretch of 11 acres of land.
-  A  proposal  to  hand  over  the  security  at  Kollam  Seaport  to  State Industrial  Security  Force  (SISF)  has  been  mooted  with  the  State government  of  Kerala  and  a  final  decision  in  this  regard  is  still awaited.
-  Dedicated  security  agency  like  the  state  police/CISF/SISF  needs  to be positioned at the Kollam Seaport to safeguard the port property as well as to ensure security and access control, whenever international operations are commenced.

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