VASCO: Mormugao Deputy Collector Sabaji Shetye has decided to approach the South Goa Collector and Goa Police with a request to retain the staff attached to the Vasco traffic cell instead of assigning them the job of managing traffic for the Defence expo in Naqueri-Quitol.
The decision was taken in a joint meeting of State agencies at Ravindra Bhavan, Vasco, on Wednesday, and was aimed at finding a solution to the non-availability of Vasco traffic police for the Shigmotsav float parade in Vasco, which will be held on March 29.
The meeting was attended by Vasco Dy SP Suchita Desai, Vasco traffic cell PI Sudesh Narvekar, Mormugao PI Kapil Naik, who holds additional charge of Vasco police station, Vasco fire department official Dilip Bicholkar and the Murgaon Nagrik Shigmotsav Samiti (MNSS).
Issues such as traffic management, law and order, deployment of additional security personnel, deployment of volunteers to help the police and installation of CCTV of cameras at several crucial locations for the Shigmo float parade were discussed in the meeting.
“The meeting was called to check the preparedness for the Shigmotsav float parade in Vasco on March 29. It was brought to our notice that Goa Police has issued directions to the Vasco traffic cell to ask the MNSS to manage the float parade celebrations on its own as the traffic personnel have been assigned the job of managing traffic for the Defence Expo,” said Shetye.
He continued, “After a discussion, it was decided that I will write to the higher officials to make some arrangements and retain the traffic policemen attached to Vasco traffic cell on the day of the float parade, as without traffic police, controlling traffic in Vasco won’t be possible.”
Dy SP Suchita Desai said, “It is a fact that traffic police are required in Vasco for the float parade. However, the Defence Expo, which is an international event, requires security. We are working on modalities and surely the issue will be resolved. If not, we will try to seek some additional force to ensure that the event in Vasco happens peacefully and without any inconvenience to the public.”
MNSS President Shekhar Khadapkar informed that the Samiti had decided to train 100 volunteers to ensure that the float parade was a success.
