Though the Indian Coast guard (ICG) in Goa has been facing shortage of manpower, but we have converted this liability into advantage, said DIG ICG Manoj Vasant Baadkar.He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 40th anniversary of Indian Coast Guard Raising Day held at Coast Guard premises at INS Hansa on Wednesday. To commemorate the occasion cake cutting ceremony was also held at Indian Coast Guard Air Station (Goa).Overall one of the difficulties which are faced by IGC in Goa is the issue of shortage of manpower, people say it is disadvantage, but I feel that we have put all efforts to convert this as an advantage. Though our staffs sometimes gets over stressed, but in other way we use take it as an advantage to execute plans, operations in a faster and more successful way, Baadkar said. Baadkar also claimed that in last four years the strength of Goa Coast Guard (GCG) has increased manifolds. From just two small interceptor boats, today GCG has got advanced offshore patrol vessel which carries a helicopter, besides that two big fast offshore vessels, three inceptor boats in addition to the helicopters which are based at Goa. Similarly, to give boost to operational infrastructures, Coast Guard will get a new vessel Shaunak’ that would be commissioned tentatively on February 21 at Goa Shipyard Limited. The new vessel will have 14 officers and 105 personnel, he said.He further said that In Goa, Coast Guard plays a very important role not only towards the coastal security but also towards marine pollution. On the sea, the Coast Guard takes up the responsibility of prevention and mitigation of pollution. In terms of coastal security operations, there are many threat perceptions, however due to the presence of Coast guard and Navy and coastal security police, our coast has become so strong that enemies rethink on their mission. Baadkar also claimed that in Goa, the fishermen have accepted the Coast Guard as a service which is made for them and required for them. Most of the fishermen are complying to the directions issued by the coastal security agencies, however, there is only disadvantage that almost all the fishermen who venture out for fishing at sea are non-Goans, and many of them do not have proper biometric identity cards, and thus to eradicate this issue the directorate of fisheries has taken up several steps to ensure that fishermen carry proper biometric identity cards while fishing at sea to avoid confusion.He said that the work on Coast Guard station project at Chicolna is in process and by 2020 the Coast Guard would completely shift to new premises.