Now CCTVs to ogle at you in Goa, at Margao and Tivim

CCTVs have finally made their way into strategic locations in Goa and the first hosts have been the railway stations in Goa at Margao and Thivim which will come under the eye of CCTVs beginning Monday August 24, 2009. Both the facilities currently installed with closed circuit televisions would become operational on Monday after the inauguration at the hands of Konkan railway corporation managing director Mr Anurag Mishra.

With terror threats looming over Goa since the end of last year after the Mumbai terror attacks, the CCTV project was contemplated for Goa's railway stations of Margao and Thivim and are being installed at an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh. While Margao was the lone station initially mooted for the project after the Mumbai carnage, the Konkan railway corporation however sanctioned the project for the two railway stations to contain the terror threat in a more wholesome manner.

Besides helping the cause of warding off terror threats in the state, the CCTVs are expected to help the law enforcement agencies in the state  in tracking down criminals in Goa who commit crimes and flee out of the state via the Margao railway station.

It has been earlier experienced by the police that the trail of most criminal offences in Margao and in the state have led sniffer dogs to the Margao railway station in cases mostly related to thefts and burglaries. The CCTVs are expected to help keep a close tab on such elements who use the Margao railway station as their mode of fleeing Goa after committing the crimes.

Goa Police get "INSAS" shot in the arm

Post 26/11, the government of Goa was stirred into the stark reality which had already embarrassed the Mumbai Police after their lack of mere preparedness to face terrorists was exposed with the megapolis' city police found toting with antique pistols and guns which made them look like virtual schoolboys caught at recess time when the terrorists from across the border struck the most telling blows at different locations in Mumbai's hotels, airports, restaurants and an Jewish centre on November 26 2008. Goa was feared to be the next terror target which had made the administration get up and take the much overdue decision of beefing up its armoury to meet current standards of defence preparedness.

It was therefore hearty to note that the initiative has finally borne fruit with the Goa government procuring over 100 INSAS rifles as part of the plan to gradually phase out the nearly 3000 odd .303 rifles which the force has been so far been using.

However the procurement of the guns has been part of regular haphazard  purchase practices where the guns are there but no ammunition to use them. No doubt the guns procured last month lay unused for over a month untill the state government of Goa received a consignment of ammunition from the Delhi Police on loan. The guns have now been distributed to various police stations in the state to enable the '"men in uniform" to train themselves in the use of the sophisticated rifle.

The rifles which cost over Rs 10 lakh, have been distributed to police stations in Panaji, Calangute, Anjuna, Pernem and Porvorim polices stations in the North of Goa and Vasco, Colva, Margao, Verna, Cuncolim and Canacona in South Goa and the training of the policemen on the gun, is currently in progress .

The Goa state police is presently on a state of high alert following intelligence inputs regarding terror threat on the west coast of India and the possible eventualities during the forthcoming Independence day celebrations. Patrolling at vital points in Goa has therefore been intensified and the Police have increased their co-ordination with fishermen, hoteliers, cyber cafe, PCO owners and taxi operators, alerting and sensitising them about the security steps.

Hotels, guest houses,cyber cafes, PCO's and other places have therefore become the frequent stops for beat officers to maintain regular checks all over Goa.

Helmet rule to be uniform all over Goa

The Helmet which is a safety gear for the head while travelling on a two wheeler is likely to be made as a compulsory wear for all Goans across the state irrespective of the type of area they drive the two wheelers in. Currently the Goa government has relaxed the rule of wearing helmets which has been made compulsory for two wheeler drivers only on highways and excludes places such as village roads, city limits , towns and other such areas.

However all that could undergo a change and people in Goa may have to wear the helmet if they intend to drive the two-wheelers on the roads, in any area all over Goa. This has been necessitated due to the inability of the transport department to evince the desired results due to the partial implementation of the rule in Goa.

A proposal to implement the rule in wholesome has therefore been forwarded to the transport department and is supposedly under active consideration of the government. The transport department is currently of the view that making the helmet compulsory throughout the state would help avoid the number of people dying due to head injuries on the roads by meeting with accidents which involve two wheelers. It is believed that wearing the  helmet would have saved such lives.

As per the statistics of the transport department, the traffic police in Goa had registered over 37,446 cases in the year 2007 against two wheelers for not wearing the helmet on highways whereas in 2008 the number rose by over 45 percent to 54,392.

It is estimated that more than half the number of accidents occurring in Goa involve two wheelers and the people succumbing to such accidents are either the two wheeler riders or the pillion riders. Studies have proved that wearing a helmet by such people could have saved the lives which were lost.

Goa launches "Missing Persons Squad"

Stung by widespread criticism of failure to thoroughly investigate into the missing complaints brought to the fore by the arrest and subsequent confessions of alleged serial killer Mahanand Naik, the Goa Police have now formed a special squad called a "Missing Persons Squad' (MPS)to separately monitor the efforts made to trace missing persons in the wake of rising number of missing person cases in the state of Goa.

The separate cell of MPS was inaugurated by the home minister Mr Ravi Naik on Thursday 2nd July 2009. The unit will function under the supervision of a police inspector from Women police cell and will be responsible for performing and monitoring duties assigned to multi task force. Initial  efforts within 15 days  after receiving the missing complaint are to be given critical importance and the investigation officers have been directed to inform police stations in Goa and neighbouring states inform the MPS and prepare look out notices.

Also all missing cases will be kept open mandatorily for six months and will be close only with the MPS permission. Though the case will be closed, the missing persons file will be kept for seven years and only then will it be destroyed.

When a missing complaint is made to any police station, the police officer in charge shall ensure immediate despatch of information on talash form to the MPS . Thereafter monthly information from district SP, will be sent to the squad.

On receipt of information from the PCR, the MPS will enter the same in the station diary of women's police station and thereafter copy the details in the register of missing persons maintained in MPS according to proforma. There will be two separate search registers, one for males and another for females. the entries for minors will be made in red ink in the name column.

Simultaneously, the message will be passed on to investigating officer and photographs will be flashed to passport office, railway stations, bus stations, border check posts , TV channels and other media and efforts will be made to trace the missing person or if there is any suspicion, then the police officer will begin investigations on the spot especially for children below 12 years of age.

Goa presses anti-ragging law

The Goa Governor Dr SS Sidhu revealed today that the government of Goa has passed a bill " The Goa prohibition of ragging bill, 2008" which has been signed by him and has now been notified as the Goa Act of 2009. The act pending since 2007 seems to have been notified after pressure from the central government to enact such a law to curb the menace all over the country.

The act gives the heads of educational institutions, a judicial authority to file fact-finding reports in ragging cases and makes the heads abettors in the act of ragging if they fail to take cognisance of the complaints made to them.

Mr Sidhu said that the practice of  ragging has become rampant and has now acquired serious proportions which has cost the sanity and even lives of some students. The Governor expressed satisfaction that the Goa government has passed such a bill. The bill  which was framed in 2006 was passed by the assembly in 2007.

According to the article 4 of the act, the principal of the institution acquires the powers to act as a judge. Any incident of ragging has to be reported to the principal. Within 7 days of receiving any complaint of ragging the principal is expected top prepare a factual report.

A student who is found to be guilty could end up being rusticated from the institute and depending upon the gravity of the act, the principal is entitles to refer the complaint to the police for further action. The principal, if found failing to take any action, would be considered to be an abettor to the act.

With colleges and schools reopening for the current academic year, the act seems to have been enforced at the appropriate time as the governor hoped for its effective implementation. The governor also stressed that it is the primary responsibility of the management of educational institutions and teachers to prevent ragging and also advised parents and guardians to counsel their wards to behave more responsibly while interacting with their juniors in the institutes.

Goa police to patrol on "Robins"

In a bid to make the police presence more stronger in the state of Goa and to enhance the response time of distress calls received at Police control rooms in Goa, the Goa police will now be seen in a new patrolling mode on motorcycles which have been code named as "Robins" and which will be henceforth located at strategic locations all over the state of Goa.

Goa being highly urbanised and accessible by Roads, the "Robins" are efficient for intensive patrolling which may be required in certain areas of Goa and which can be achieved through mobile patrolling motorcycles, informed the Director General of Police Mr Bhimsen Bassi.

30 new motorcycles are initially being introduced for integrated beat patrolling in the state and these motorcycles will be under the operational control of PCR while the local police will have administrative control. The Robins will be assisted by mobile patrol vans and would be more effective while patrolling in congested places, busy market places , narrow lanes and during traffic congestion.

Due to the sharp rise in Goa's population and the influx of migrants into the state, it has forced the police to stretch their duty hours and the Robins are expected to help towards better community policing.

Goa being a tourist spot, it is imperative that the police presence in the streets as well as attendance to people in distress is available. Robins will be manned by two uniformed policemen which include a head constable and a police constable and will be provided with a wireless set for communications.

Goa Police sees major reshufffle after elections

The police department in Goa has seen a major reshuffle after the Lok sabha elections wherein over seven superintendents of Police and seventeen police inspectors have been reshuffled.The Dy Supdt of police Deu Banaulikar has been sent from Security, Panaji to the Goa reserve Police Force. Mr Nandkishore Raikar has been transferred from his current posting at Control room to JSO ( Home Guards Civil Defence) .Mr Nilu Raut Desai has been transferred to security Panaji from SDPO mapusa and Mr Gundu Naik who was stationed at crime branch Dona Paula has been now posted as SDPO Mapusa.

Mr Umesh Gaonkar has been transferred as SDPO from his present position as JSO ( Home Guards and Civil Defence). Mr Lourenco De Souza who was serving the North Goa traffic police has been transferred as special officer, Inspector General of Police , while Mr Shamba Sawant has been transferred to the police control room Panaji from his present posting as SDPO Margao.

Among the police inspectors, Mr Tushar Vernekar ( Margao Police Station) and Mr Devendra Gaad ( Quepem police station ) have been transferred to Calangute police station and Porvorim police station respectively while Mr Edwin Colaco ( Immigration Dabolim) is back at the Colva Police station. Mr Sagar Ekoskar ( Bicholim police station ) has been transferred to harbour police station while Mr Shivram Vaigankar ( Verna Police station ) and Mr Nelson Albuquerque ( Maina Curtorim police station ) have been sent to Valpoi police station and emigration Vasco respectively. Mr Harish Madkaikar is transferred to the Goa reserve police from the Valpoi police station.

Mr Santosh Desai has been transferred from Calangute police station to the Quepem police station.Mr Mohandas Naik from harbour coastal police station to CID special division Panaji and Mr Rajendra Prabhudessai from Porvorim police station to Margao police station.

Mr Raju Raut Desai ( Vasco Port emigration ) Mr Suresh Narvekar ( Sanguem police station ) and Mr Francis Corte ( Colva police station ) have been transferred to Sanguem police station, Dabolim airport - emigration and Panaji police station respectively.

Mr Dharmesh Angle from Vasco police station has been sent to Maina Curtorim police station while Mr Ram Asare with the harbour police station and Mr Braz Menezes ( Vasco police station ) have been transferred to CID ( special division ) and Bicholim police station respectively while Mr Nolasco Raposo has been transferred from Panaji police station to Verna police station.

However police inspectors Channapa Patil, Mr Manjunath Desai, Mr Sandesh Chodankar and Mr Sidhant Shirodkar as well as deputy Superintendents of Police Mr Serafin Dias, Mr Mahesh gaonkar Mr Subhash Goltekar and Mr Naresh Mhamal have been asked to continue at their present locations of posting.