Newly-created Gujarat flag officer post vacant

Although the erstwhile Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area has been divided to make two separate headquarters under Flag Officer Maharashtra Area and Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat Naval Area (FOCGNA), the latter has no Flag Officer currently. After dividing the offices on October 23, Rear Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar was appointed as the Flag Officer for the Gujarat office but was then sent to Delhi with promotion as DG for a Seabird

project. The division of the Naval areas was marked by Rear Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade assuming charge of Flag Officer Maharashtra area from Mr Pawar on October 21. Mr Pawar took over as Flag Officer Gujarat Naval Area on November first week.

However, some 15 days later, he was promoted to the DG level and transferred to Delhi as DG for a ship fleet development-related seabird project. With Mr Pawar taking charge in Delhi from December 1, the newly created Flag Officer post in Gujarat lies vacant.

Gujarat’s coastline of more than 1,600 km is interspersed with 43 ports, and in line with security requirements of critical shipbuilding yards, ports, major oil and gas industries, the new headquarters was established in Porbander at INS Sardar Patel. According to sources within the Navy, crude oil refineries, crude oil landing ports and ship building companies were demanding a naval base for a long time, as they operate from the area and need security. On the occasion of Navy Day Vice Admiral S.P.S. Cheema, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, also justified the decision of establishing a separate naval command in Gujarat.