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PANJIM: The long-awaited Goa Police Bill, which offers hope of professional functioning of the force, will be tabled in the next Assembly session or in December after preparing a new draft, correcting certain embedded sections such as Section 144 of Cr PC and throwing it open for public feedback.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the House during Question Hour that the draft Police Bill will be circulated for public feedback and placed before a new select committee prior to placing it for discussion and voting in the Assembly.
“A draft will be circulated two to three months (in advance) for opinion from citizens, NGOs and other organizations. We will incorporate suggestions which are acceptable,” Parrikar said in response to a question on the status of Goa Police Bill tabled by Congress MLA Atanasio Monserrate.
The new Bill, Parrikar presumes, is likely to be controversial as some might term it as ‘authoritarian’ while others may feel it is ‘too mild’. The Bill would also amend various irrelevant sections. Parrikar made it clear the Bill will not indicate total mind of the government.
“For example, police uses Section 144 for the offences such as begging, loitering at night or (to impound) stray cattle. This section is actually not meant for these offences…It is like you are conducting an operation for an ailment when it can be cured with a minor injection,” Parrikar explained with an analogy.
He told the House that draft Police Bill 2008, which has been referred to the Assembly’s Select Committee has lapsed; following the dissolution of the House and that the government will have a new draft. A new House Committee will be formed after placing the draft in public domain, he said.
Mauvin Godinho expressed concern that discussions of the previous Select Committee on the now-lapsed draft Police Bill will be futile. “We had serious discussions on that Bill (2008),” he said.
Parrikar, who was also a member of the previous committee, allayed apprehensions saying that suggestions and discussions will be taken into consideration in the new draft.
Opposition Leader Pratapsing Rane also raised question whether the government will consider the provisions from the previous bills, which were included after studying Japanese and Singapore Police Acts. He also said the previous Bill was shunted between the Centre and State governments for several amendments.
Parrikar replied that except for the blue and white uniform, rest of the elements from that Bill may be considered.
Rane was quick to clarify that the blue and white uniform were not part of the bill.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed that the draft Police Bill will be circulated for public feedback and placed before a new select committee prior to placing it for discussion and voting in the Assembly
