Goa Police asks for para military force for Christmas season

Goa Police asks for para military force for Christmas season
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 2
State Home Ministry today held a review meeting with requests from Goa police to depute Central Para Military Force for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year.
“It was a routine meeting to review the law and order in the state,” said police spokesperson Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) Atmaram Deshpande.
The meeting was chaired by Home Minister Ravi Naik who inquired about the on-going security arrangements for IFFI-2010 that concluded on Thursday and Feast of St Francis Xavier on Friday.
“The minister insisted the department to raise the crime detection level… We requested the State to appeal the Central Government to deploy Central Para Military Force for year-ending events,” said a senior police officer.
The state invites thousands of foreigners descending in the coastal state for Christmas and New Year festivities.
Two platoons of Central Industrial Security Force were deputed in Goa for a period of 10 days for IFFI, and it has been extended to another day owing to the Feast at Old Goa. The feast attracts several thousand devotees from all over the world.
Taking no chance in wake of past terror threats, the authorities have planned to beef up the security. Sources said that vital installations are kept under strict vigil.
Following Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008, a total of 375 CRPF and RAF personnel were rushed to Goa by the Centre in the wake of intelligence reports suggesting that the tourist hot spot might be a terror target during the Christmas and New Year revelries.
The deployment came after the state government wrote to the Union Home Ministry requesting more central paramilitary force, citing terror threat.
Whereas, in 2009, nearly 400 additional paramilitary troopers were sourced from the central government to gear up for the two high profile events – IFFI and the President Prathibha Patil’s visit – and December celebrations.
The police were also geared up for sea borne terror threats with the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard pitching in.