BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: Home Minister Ravi Naik yesterday warned that the government would suspend any police officer refusing to register a complaint of any nature.
Ravi gave the warning while replying to the Demands for Grants for Police, Home, Prosecution, Jails, Home Guards, etc in the Legislative Assembly.
He said that persons visiting at the police station along with their grievances/complaints should be heard politely and their grievances solved. He said that reception counters had been opened at the police station in order to get friendly relation with the police. He said that community policing had been maintained and police-public interaction were held to solve their problems/grievances on the spot.
He said that a full-fledged missing person squad had been constituted to investigate and follow up cases of missing persons. It will maintain database of all missing persons anmd will help the various investigating officers at all police stations.
He strongly denied that the police transfer were effected in violation of the Supreme Court directives. He said that in pursuance of the directions by the apex court, the government had constituted Police Establishment Board to recommend the postings and transfers of officers of and above the rank of Superintendent of Police.
The Home Minister informed the member that the Goa Police would raise its second Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) comprising 1007 personnel, in order to tackle law and order problems and to strengthen the internal security of the state. The recruitment process for this battalion had already started while, the government was in the process of creating infrastructure for stationing Battalions at suitable place from where this manpower could be reached in shortest possible time at the place of need.
He told the House that the government was proposing to acquire Firing Training Simulator for improving the aiming and marks manship of the Goa police. He said that the Eagle Force launched recently would be expanded. The government is also considering to acquire Laser Speed Radar for the Police Traffic Cell, he said adding that full-fledged traffic cells would be set up at Curchorem, Calangute and Ponda.
He said that the government would procure additional weapons such as 150 rifle AK 47 folding butt 7.62 mm and 350 pistol Glock-269X19 mm under the police modernisation scheme.
He said that the process was on to recruit additional 250 Home Guards to supplement the workload of the Traffic Police, etc in the state. The government had enhanced the honorarium of Home Guards after seven years from Rs 150 per day to Rs 200 per day while, it was also examining the idea of providing comprehensive group insurance cover to Home Guards.
The Home Minister claimed that the conviction rate in courts in serious cases was high last year compared to 2007 and that police officers were sent to various Institutes in India for upgrading their investigating skills. Referring to the eight accused released on bail in connection with the seizure of swords case at Margao, Ravi said that the government would take appropriate decision to prosecute them under section 153-A of IPC.
Earlier, the opposition members charged that the government had failed to investigate the cases of temple desecration and failed to investigate the sword cases of Margao with seriousness it deserved. They said that the government failed to improve the conviction rates in courts and failed to curb menace of drug dealing.
The opposition members further alleged that the government failed to maintain sanctity of Supreme Court decision in matters of police transfer and failed to prevent politicisation of police transfers thereby making it ineffective.
