While pressure is being exerted to commence operations at the new Dabolim airport terminal, little attention has been paid to ensure an adequate police force to maintain law and order at the highly sensitive installation.
In order to handle traffic and other crimes in and around the Dabolim airport, the government had opened a full-fledged police station and a traffic cell at the airport. But, the police station and the Traffic Cell at Dabolim face an acute staff shortage (see box) and the situation has reached such an extent that the Traffic Cell police inspector is now holding additional charge of the Dabolim police station.
“Due to lack of staff, most of us are forced to do a 24-hour duty and during peak hours we do not get enough time even to rest,” remarked a policeman at the Dabolim police station.
The new police station has perhaps the smallest office among police stations in the State. The meagre 21 sq mtrs of space is divided into three rooms ~ a Traffic Cell, the police station and a common restroom with two beds.
“Policemen cannot even have their meals properly as there are no tables and they have to sit on the bed and eat their food. There are no toilets or washroom facilities at the police station and we have to go to the paid toilets to wash our tiffin boxes, plates and to use the bathroom,” the policeman added.
“Worse still, there are no lady police constables presently posted at the Dabolim police station to handle any issue involving a lady passenger.
When contacted, Dabolim Traffic Cell PI Navlesh Desai confirmed that the Dabolim Airport police station is understaffed and that, he has been holding additional charge as the police inspector of the Dabolim airport police station. “I have written to my superiors in this regard,” said PI Desai.
The population at Porvorim plateau may have increased rapidly over the past 10 years, but the police force sanctioned at the Porvorim police station to maintain law and order has remained the same.
Worse still, the present staff strength at the Porvorim Police station is now even lower than the sanctioned strength. And with a number of policemen assigned to other tasks, catering to the safety and security of a growing population is an uphill task for the police station.
The Porvorim police station has to cater to the seven large villages of Reis Magos, Pilerne, Nerul, Penha-da-Franca, Socorro, Salvador-do-Mundo and Sangolda.
Despite being hit by staff shortage at the Porvorim police station (see box), five police constables are deputed in the office of the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa, while two police constables are deployed to manage the entrance gate of Goa Legislative Assembly Complex.
In addition, two policemen each are assigned to the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police, while some policemen are deployed at DGP (Reserve).
“As a result, only a few police constables are left to attend to regular duties at the police station,” said the source.
“To make matters worse, people regularly stage protest rallies during Assembly sessions, while the highway from Mandovi Bridge to Guirim has become an accident-prone zone. All this has exerted added pressure on us,” said the police source.
“Due to staff shortage and added workload, policemen are under considerable stress and are forced to even sacrifice their leave,” the police source added.
When contacted, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said he met SP (North) Priyanka Kashyap who “admitted that Porvorim Police station is understaffed and that she has requested for additional staff,
