TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Families of Goa unit of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel deployed in Naxalite-hit districts of Maharashtra on parliamentary election-duty met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday to complain about poor living conditions in which they were surviving. They emphasised there was a threat to the lives of their wards, who, they claim, have not been given weapons or bullets.
The concerned family members asked Parrikar to ensure safety of the around 500 personnel while at the same time make available enough food and potable water for them.
While it is a mater of pride for Goa Police since, for the first time in the history, its force is deployed to another state for assisting the local police to maintain law and order during the Parliamentary polls, ironically they are poorly equipped. A parent said the trained personnel are lacking basic weapons including bullet-proof jackets and bullets.
“They are not provided with adequate arms and ammunitions to counter potential Naxal attack. The weapons they are carrying are not enough and not modern… How will they protect the lives of citizens when they themselves are at risk?” one of the parents asked.
The parents stated that some of the personnel had to travel in train toilets while going for their postings. They also stated that the officer who had accompanied them had left for the North East leaving them in the lurch.
The order of their deployment was based on directions from Election Commission of India in return for 10 companies of central para-military forces allotted for the north and south districts for the polls. The personnel will be posted until the counting day on May 16.
The para-military forces have already been allotted places of their deployment where they are assisting the local police force. They are also posted on security duty in and around government offices where electronic voting machines are stored, all of which will be unveiled on the voting day on April 12. Besides, some of them are patrolling the cities and villages to ensure model code of conduct is not violated.
