http://englishnews.thegoan.net/story.php?id=23325

Saligao police station has more cops than crimes

02nd October 2016, 12:00 Hrs

ANIL SHANKHWALKAR

SALIGAO

They may share the same entrance and premises along the boundary of Saligao
and Calangute villages, but similarities end there for the Saligao and the
Calangute police stations.

Whether it is the area of operation, staff strength or even crime rates,
the glaring contrast between the two police stations has left many to
wonder about the nature and purpose of the Saligao police station.

While the Calangute police station is one of the busiest police stations in
the State, the Saligao police station has the smallest jurisdiction and
catered to only two villages, Saligao and Sangolda. Compare this meagre
area to the jurisdictions of some other police stations at Valpoi, Pernem,
Bicholim and Canacona, which have to handle entire talukas.

The 75-strong force posted at Saligao police station has had a relatively
meagre workload in comparison to the 106 personnel at Calangute police
station.

Since its inception in August 2014, the Saligao police station has
registered barely 70 plus cases. To put matters into perspective, the
Saligao police station has recorded an average of a little over three cases
every month. On the other hand, the busy Calangute police station
registered 502 cases since January 2014, an average of over 15 cases every
month.

Since the Saligao police station came into existence in August 2014,
questions have been raised on the need for a police station at Saligao to
cater to only two villages of Saligao and Sangolda.

At the time, frosty relations between Tourism Minister and Saligao MLA
Dilip Parulekar and NGPDA Chairman and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo is widely
believed to have led to frictions over control at the Calangute police
station.

In a bid to pacify the two BJP legislators, the Calangute police station
was unexpectedly bifurcated and two villages were handed over to the new
Saligao police station.

“It was wrong decision by the State government to have created a separate
police station for two villages, Saligao and Sangolda, especially when the
Porvorim and Calangute police stations are overburdened with workload,”
said social activist Edwin Fernandes.

“The government should have detached some areas under the jurisdiction of
Porvorim and Calangute police stations and brought them under the
jurisdiction of Saligao police station.”

“There are only a few cases being registered at Saligao police station and
the staff is bound to remain idle. This is not fair to other police
stations in the State, most of which are overburdened with a huge
jurisdiction and staff shortage,” he added.

The presence of 75 personnel at Saligao police station, which recorded a
maximum of 38 cases an entire year (2015) has also come in for scrutiny.

Incidentally, then chief minister Manohar Parrikar along with Parulekar had
inspected a site in Pilerne in July 2014, to set up a separate Saligao
police station by demolishing the existing structure there.

When contacted, Deputy Superintendent of Police Nelson Albuquerque said the
Goa Police was aware that a few cases have been reported at Saligao police
station.

“Even prior to formation of Saligao police station, very few cases were
being reported from Saligao and Sangolda villages,” he said.

“The State government's policy is to create a police station for each
constituency and it was for this reason, a separate police station was
created for Saligao. The Saligao police station which is presently housed
in the Calangute police station, will be shifted to Pilerne,” informed DySP
Albuquerque.

“The government building identified for Saligao police station has still
not been handed over to the police department. Once this building is handed
over, the process of delimitation of areas will start. There is a proposal
to include some portion of Pilerne and Calangute in the new Saligao Police
station,” said DySP Albuquerque.

- See more at:
http://englishnews.thegoan.net/story.php?id=23325#sthash.6F6AQp5f.dpuf

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