In view of the recent accidents and burglaries that have occurred in Velim and under the jurisdiction of the Cuncolim police station, the villages of Velim constituency are demanding the upgradation of the Assolna police outpost at the earliest.
It maybe recalled that Velim MLA Benjamin Silva had raised the issue in the assembly and has stated that the proposal for the outpost upgradation has been placed before the government. He added that the file has been placed before the police department for consideration.
There has been an increase in the number of burglary cases and house breaks in areas surrounding Assona such as Velim and Ambelim and there was a furore a few months back at the slow response time by the Cuncolim police in reaching and dealing with accident sites in these areas.
It is common knowledge that the Cuncolim police jurisdiction area is vast and does not have sufficient manpower to deal with Cuncolim and Velim constituency – the latter being one of the largest populated in the state. It is to be noted that the Cuncolim police station also controls the Assolna Police outpost, which has jurisdiction over Banda ward and it’s also in dire conditions. The police outpost was set up to take police administration closer to the people of Assolna, Ambelim and Velim.
It is to be noted that recently, police sub-inspectors had been sanctioned. There is still a requirement for more staff such as constables. Benjamin pointed out that the government had recruited staff and acknowledged that the recruitment process was long overdue when asked about the shortage of police staff compared to the population of Velim constituency.
Benjamin and villagers of Velim constituency that is manned by the Assolna outpost have raised suspicion on the involvement of increasing number of migrants behind the thefts. While Cuncolim police maintained that they were carrying out night patrolling, the villagers were urged by the MLA and the police to remain vigilant. Cuncolim police also added that it was important to maintain a record of migrants employed at residential areas.
Villagers however were of the opinion that the Cuncolim police were not doing enough and with the Assolna outpost inadequate, various measures being carried out by the police cannot be the only tactics to bring down the rate of crime in the village. They also felt that the police were not combing secluded areas or following on the unsolved burglary cases in the constituency.
On the issues of accidents and anger in the village that the police take forever to reach the site and thereafter carry out proper investigations, the MLA has called on the government to improve the infrastructure at the police station to reduce the delay in police reaching accident sites.
Silva pointed out that of late one of the major irritants among the families, friends of the victims of such road accidents is the time in which the police take to come to the accident site and the conduct of the police investigation. He gave the example of how the police have cited reasons like no driver for the vehicle and added that after his intervention more staff had been appointed at the police station. It maybe recalled that there were petitions against the former police inspector and the new police inspector Gurudas Kadam has not met the kind of ire his predecessor had. Silva stated that he had appealed to the police and government to ensure that justice is brought and the investigation is followed as per law. Silva added that with the upgradation of the Cuncolim police station and Assolna outpost in particular, the police services would not be impacted by lack of facilities available to them.
