PANJIM: Amidst demand to withdraw Goa Police’s ambitious Traffic Sentinel scheme even as government has assured to review the year-old plan, Police Chief Muktesh Chander has termed the apprehensions as ‘unfounded.’
“All these apprehensions are unfounded. We can explain to every allegation made regarding continuing this scheme,” Chander told Herald responding to allegations on the misuse of the scheme.
Against the backdrop of at least three incidents wherein sentinels were attacked for filming traffic violation, majority ruling and opposition MLAs had demanded scrapping of the scheme in the recently held legislative assembly session. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo and former chief minister Digambar Kamat claimed that in guise of reporting violations on the roads, photographs of girls/women were clicked. Lobo also alleged that these pictures are being used for prostitution while also questioning the right of privacy of every citizen.
While refraining from commenting on the discussion in the House followed by Transport Minister Ramkrishna Dhavlikar’s assurance to review the scheme, the director general of police has pointed at the reduction in accidents and fatalities. “The scheme is good and there is no point in blaming it. One must see the results. Accidents have reduced and fatalities are also less compared to previous years; and this scheme is one of the contributing factors,” he added.
For the first time in 15 years, Goa Police recorded a significant drop in fatal accidents and a sharp increase of 48 percent in prosecution of traffic offenders last year, as per the annual crime and traffic road safety report. The department attributed the success to intensive traffic enforcement drive, successful implementation of the scheme and various related factors.
It has now come to the fore that Mumbai police has replicated the scheme in its city to enforce discipline on the roads.
