VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM: First with Congress-led coalition and now BJP-led government, the proposal to get bulletproof cars for visiting VVIPs and VIPs has been gathering dust in the government files and Goa police continues to borrow such vehicles from neighbouring states as and when needed.
This in a way may be a good development because for once politicians cutting across parties seem to have realized that such extravagance is uncalled for.
Officials in the Home department, however, said the proposal for bulletproof cars has been caught in bureaucratic red tape with neither the former Congress-led government nor the current BJP-led government prioritizing the purchase of bulletproof cars. The police department has been sending repeated reminders to the government, naturally.
“There is no response from the government. We are told the proposal is under consideration… this is reflecting on the State’s security preparedness,” claimed an official.
Nearly two years ago the National Security Guard (NSG) had observed “security violations” during Z+ security politician LK Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra at Curchorem and submitted a confidential report to the Union Home Ministry. Goa at that time did not have a single bullet proof car and the situation hasn’t changed as of today. The government, then under Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat was reportedly criticized by the Centre for failing to procure this “necessity”.
State police had put up a proposal for two Pajero bulletproof jeeps from Hindustan Motors ahead of Advani’s visit on May 11, 2011.
But the former government took the stand that the “vehicles were very expensive” and rightly so. Two vehicles at then prevailing prices cost a mammoth Rs 1.10 crore, with each car priced at Rs 55 lakh.
“The price must have definitely risen now,” a secretariat source said, indicating the current regime’s agreement with the previous administration on this point. Goa Police was asked to continue borrowing bulletproof cars from neighbouring states during any VVIP or VIP visits.
Sources said police replied insisting on having their own vehicles as on certain occasions their counterparts have refused to lend their bulletproof cars.
“It is not possible to borrow bullet proof vehicles every now and then because sometimes neighbouring states require the vehicles owing to VIP movements in their own states. We can’t blame them. In the wake of this scenario, we wanted our own vehicles,” said a police officer.
He pointed out that during the recently concluded BJP national executive meet in Goa leaders including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi were in Goa for three days, the State had to once again borrow two bullet-proof cars from Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Modi, incidentally, had got his own bulletproof vehicle.
Meanwhile, the Goa Police has sent a fresh proposal to government seeking two VIP jammers, total cost of which is estimated at Rs two crore.
