It is rare for ministers to publicly air their views on the departments handled by their colleagues, especially when what they have to say is not complimentary. That, however, has not been the case with the Goa cabinet and this week a minister spoke to the media commenting on what he felt was wrong with the Police Department, which comes under the Home Department that is currently handled by the Chief Minister. While he may have embarrassed the government with this statement, a few days prior to this, the same minister had been complimentary of the Police Department and its actions in the same area.
On Monday, Water Resources Minister Vinod Paliencar, publicly said he sometimes does not get the required support from the police in his efforts to clear the beachside of drug dealers, and so believes that the police have a nexus with those involved in illegal activities. He went on to state that policemen who are found to be involved in the drug mafia should be ready to sit at home as the government will clamp down on the drug trade along the coastal belt, effectively putting the police department on notice. Yet, not too many days ago, on April 4, Paliencar had claimed that almost 90 percent of the drug parties and prostitution in Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora had been stopped through police action and the directions of the Chief Minister.
All this leads to the question of just how serious is this government in tackling the drug trade in the State, or is it just speaking out loud on the issue.
Paliencar is a minister from one of the coalition partners – Goa Forward – and has been elected from Siolim constituency, which has some of the alleged hotspots of the drug trade within its boundaries. According to Paliencar, rave parties and late night loud music parties should be completely stopped as it is through these activities that drug peddling takes place. Since his election he has been quite vocal on the drug trade and has said that the government wants a drug-free Goa.
To give credit to some of the coastal MLAs, there have been raids and arrests conducted by police in the North Goa coastal belt that has led to curbing narcotics and flesh trade. This has been attributed to the desire of some of the young MLAs to clean up the coast of these illegalities, and the pressure on the police by the Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, following demands from the coastal MLAs. Soon after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar took charge, Goa Police did start a drive against drugs and prostitution, leading to some seizures of narcotics and arrests of peddlers, as well as rescue of women pushed into prostitution.
But more is required than mere statements, especially contradictory statements. One cannot ignore the fact that in the past there have been allegations of the police-drug mafia nexus and some policemen were even suspended, and against this backdrop the allegations of the minister of police involvement in the drug mafia may not be entirely unfounded. It has to, however, be tackled. Here is a new minister in a government that is not yet a month old giving voice to what many people would perhaps be thinking, but it needs to be followed up by action.
Goans expect zero tolerance to the narcotics trade from the government. It is not an impossible task, though it will require more than just concerted efforts from the various agencies. It requires the will. A minister has put the drug dealers and police on notice, will he follow it up with action?
